Forever Twenty

The recent run of results makes for sobering reading. In the last six races, the best finish has been a third place, bookended by a string of sixth, seventh, and ninth-place efforts. That is not the form of a horse threatening to win imminently, and with a race just yesterday, the team will be hoping a little freshening up and the right opportunity can spark something different.

Forever Twenty typically runs at Class 5 level — the entry-level tier of British racing, where most horses are finding their feet rather than competing for prestige. Even there, it has drawn a blank in all three attempts. That said, trainer Ivan Furtado, based in Wiseton in South Yorkshire, is clearly a man who knows how to get a winner out. His yard has sent out 34 winners already this season, which shows this is a competent, active operation that produces results. When a trainer of that output has a horse still searching for its first win, it usually means they are still figuring out exactly what conditions and distance suit it best. The puzzle has not been solved yet, but it is not for lack of trying.

For now, Forever Twenty is a horse with something left to prove. Not every young horse clicks straight away, and the fact that the team keeps running it suggests they believe there is more to come. The question is when — and whether the right race will come along before this difficult chapter becomes a defining one.