Independent Angel

The recent form makes for uncomfortable reading. Looking at the last six races — finishing 8th, 6th, 9th, 4th, 10th, and 12th — the best of those was a fourth place just a couple of runs ago, which at least suggests there is some ability buried in there somewhere. But it has not built on that, and the most recent run, a 12th place just yesterday, is about as far from a breakthrough as you can get.

Independent Angel typically races at Class 6, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — essentially the races designed for horses who are still finding their way. Even at that level, the horse has drawn a blank across all three attempts, winning none of them. That matters because Class 6 is precisely where a horse like this should be picking up its first win if it is ever going to.

Trainer Lisa Williamson, based in Kelsall, Cheshire, has had six winners on the board this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get a horse to win. The question is whether Independent Angel can become one of those success stories. At three years old, there is still time — horses of this age are maturing physically and mentally with every run, and some take longer than others to put it all together. But time, as they say, is not unlimited, and the pressure is quietly building for a performance that justifies the faith being shown by keeping the horse in training.