Imperial Sovereign

At five years old, Imperial Sovereign is in the prime of its racing life, and the recent form figures — 7-3-4-3-2-4 — tell an interesting story. There are places in there, a second and a couple of thirds, which means the horse is not disgracing itself. It is running competitively enough to finish in the top four with some regularity, but that final step to the winner's enclosure has so far proved elusive. Whether that changes soon is the question every run raises.

The level at which Imperial Sovereign competes makes this more striking, not less. Seven of its 19 races have come at Class 2 level — meaning against some of the better horses in the country — and it has not won any of them. That is a tough ask for any horse, and it suggests the team at Philip Kirby's yard in East Appleton, North Yorkshire, have always believed this horse belongs in good company. Kirby's operation is in solid form right now, having sent out 36 winners already this season, so the infrastructure and confidence are there. The horse raced just yesterday, which means it is fit, fresh, and clearly still in the plans.

Jockey Clifford Lee has partnered Imperial Sovereign six times, winning once — that same Newcastle victory — which works out to roughly 1 in every 6 rides together. That is actually a decent return for a horse with this overall record, and suggests the pairing has something going for it when things click. The challenge now is turning those near-misses into a second career win. Twenty-nine months is a long time to wait.