Flaming Rib

What makes Flaming Rib worth watching, though, is the mystery McGuinness hints at beneath the surface. The trainer believes a Race in Hong Kong nearly two years ago—where Flaming Rib finished eight and a half lengths behind a much better horse—may have knocked the stuffing out of him mentally. The yard is now attempting what McGuinness calls a "retrieval mission," hoping to find the horse that once showed genuine promise at the top level. He ran well on normal ground conditions, winning 2 of his 12 races at that level (17%), and recently returned to training after a break. McGuinness sees room for encouragement: Flaming Rib is racing off what could be a generous mark, and recent work has been impressive enough to suggest the fire might yet be relit. With Chester as a happy hunting ground and perhaps better luck with ground conditions, there is at least a plausible argument that this horse has another decent run or two left in him. But time is running out, and four years is a long wait for a horse that once belonged in the top tier.