Mister Splash

The partnership with jockey Adam Wedge has been given plenty of chances, with five races together producing no wins. That is not a criticism of either horse or rider so much as a reflection of where Mister Splash currently sits — competitive enough to place on occasion, but not yet finding the extra gear that turns a placed horse into a winning one. The two second-place finishes in the recent form figures hint that the gap between where Mister Splash finishes and where it needs to be is not enormous. Second is agonising precisely because it means the winning post was right there.

Trained by E Turner at Ampton in Suffolk, the yard has sent out just one winner this season, so Mister Splash is not exactly emerging from a red-hot operation right now. It mostly competes at Class 4, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — not the glamour end of the sport, but a genuinely competitive level where horses need to earn their place. Four races at that level and no wins suggests the horse has found it tough going, though the placed efforts are worth remembering. At nine years old, time is not necessarily on its side, but horses at this age can still surprise — they just need the right day.