Economic Editor

The recent form figures tell a mixed story. That "2" appearing twice in the last six runs shows Economic Editor can get competitive and finish close — second place twice is not nothing — but the same sequence also includes a 14th, which hints at the inconsistency that has likely defined this horse's time in training. When it's good, it can be a threat. When it isn't, it can be well beaten. That unpredictability, combined with a complete absence of wins, explains why it has spent most of its career at Class 5, the entry level of British racing. Ten races at that level, still no win. It hasn't been given easier opportunities and cashed in; it has had easier opportunities and still not managed it.

What makes the story stranger is the gap. Economic Editor last raced roughly three years ago — 1,096 days, to be precise. That is an extraordinarily long time away from competition. A short absence might mean a minor setback; three years suggests something far more significant kept this horse off the track. Whatever the reason, it raises a real question about what the yard might expect if and when it does return.

The horse has almost always been partnered by jockey Dylan Johnston, who has ridden it nine times together without a win between them. That kind of loyalty between horse and jockey, unrewarded across nine outings, says something about how this story has gone. Trainer Adam Nicol, based at Seahouses on the Northumberland coast, is clearly no stranger to winners — the yard has sent out 24 this season — so the knowledge is there. Economic Editor just hasn't been able to take advantage of it. Whether a comeback is even planned remains to be seen, but if it does return, it will do so as a horse that still has everything to prove.