Competing at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle tier of British racing, Lipstick Traces has gone zero from five at that grade. Zero wins is zero wins, and at six years old, time is not endlessly on this horse's side. And yet the placing record — five times in the money across eight races — tells you this is not a horse that gets beaten into the weeds. It competes. It finishes in the frame. It just hasn't found that extra gear at the crucial moment.
The trainer is Justin Landy, who operates out of Leyburn in North Yorkshire. It's a modest yard by the numbers — three winners on the board this season — but small yards with horses that place as consistently as this one often know exactly what they have. A horse that finishes third twice in a row is a horse that is fit, well-managed, and competitive. Whether Landy can find the right opportunity to finally get Lipstick Traces into the winner's enclosure is the question. Having raced just one day ago, this is very much an active campaign, and the answer may not be far away.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hexham Undulating |
3 | 1 second, 2 thirds | 2 May | 0% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 31 Mar | 0% |
| Worcester Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 20 Aug | 0% |
| Sedgefield Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 4 Sep | 0% |
| Kelso Undulating |
1 | 1 second | 25 May | 0% |