Gilbertina

That single win came at Market Rasen on Boxing Day 2022, and it now stands as the defining moment of Gilbertina's career — over 41 months ago and still not repeated. Market Rasen on a festive afternoon is a lively, popular fixture, and winning there means something. But the inability to build on it since is the central puzzle of this horse's story. The most recent six outings have produced finishes of 8th, 4th, 4th, 3rd, and 4th, with one non-completion — competitive enough to suggest she belongs in these races, but not enough to suggest a winner is coming soon.

The bulk of her career has been spent in Class 4 races — the solid, workaday level of British racing, a few rungs below the glamour events. There she has won just 1 from 17 attempts, a win rate of 6%, which means she is finding even that level a genuine challenge. Regular partner Charlie Hammond has ridden her eight times without a win between them, though that is more a reflection of where Gilbertina is in her career than any particular criticism of the jockey.

She is trained by Nick Kent, based in Brigg, Lincolnshire — a small yard that has sent out just one winner this season. With Gilbertina raced as recently as yesterday and still active at nine years old, there is clearly appetite from the team to keep campaigning her. Whether another win is in her, only time will tell — but the evidence of the last three-and-a-half years suggests patience will be required.