Imbolc

The eight-year-old has managed just one placed finish across those 18 races, meaning it has finished in the top three once and nowhere near the front every other time. That is a record that offers no illusions. Most horses at this level pick up a win or two along the way; Imbolc has not managed it yet, and at eight years old, the window is not getting any wider.

The recent form makes for tough reading. In its last six races, the best Imbolc could manage was sixth, with a twelfth and an eighteenth also on the record — and two of those six runs produced no finishing position at all, suggesting the horse may have been pulled up or not completed the race. Raced just yesterday, Imbolc is clearly still being asked questions, and the team evidently believes there is something worth persisting with. Whether the track, the conditions, or simply a change of luck might finally unlock a first win remains to be seen. For now, Imbolc is one of racing's honest competitors — showing up, doing the job, and waiting for a day that has not yet come.