Miraflores

The recent form tells a consistent story: fifth, eleventh, ninth, tenth, and sixth in its last six outings. There are no near-misses here, no photo finishes or controversial decisions. Miraflores runs, and it runs without reward. Most of those races have come in Class 6 company — the lowest professional level in Britain — where you might expect a horse to find its level and start winning. Instead, across ten Class 6 races, Miraflores has managed nothing. Its regular jockey, Kieran O'Neill, has had five rides aboard and struck out completely.

The horse is trained by Rachel Cook and John Bridger at their yard in Liphook, Hampshire, a stable that has managed seven winners already this season. Whatever this partnership sees in Miraflores — patience, potential, a horse that simply hasn't found the right race or conditions yet — they continue to run it. For now, though, Miraflores remains winless at four years old with seventeen races behind it. The longer that zero remains on the board, the harder it becomes to imagine the moment when it finally turns into a one.