Expert Analysis

The recent form makes for uncomfortable reading. Looking at the last six runs, the numbers read 9-5-12-8-5, which tells a story of a horse that occasionally runs a decent enough race — two fifth-place finishes suggest it isn't completely out of its depth — but far more often drifts toward the back of the field. That 12th-place finish is the kind of result that raises real questions about where a horse belongs. Twelfth out of however many runners is not a near miss; it is a horse being beaten soundly by almost everyone in the race.

What is perhaps most striking is the sheer persistence of it. Thirteen races is a meaningful sample. This isn't a horse that has had one bad day or run into a freak performance from a rival. Across every opportunity it has been given, Expert Analysis has not managed to win a single race — a 0 from 13 record that is as clear a statement as sport produces. It raced just one day ago, so the team clearly haven't given up, and sometimes horses do find a level that suits them. But right now, the evidence points to a horse that is yet to find its best.