Monaco Rules

The recent form makes for interesting reading. A seventh last time out is the one blot, but before that Monaco Rules finished second, suggesting it can mix it at the sharp end when things fall right. The sequence of 7-2-4-6-3 over its last six races is the pattern of a horse that blows hot and cold — you never quite know which version is going to turn up. That second place finish is the tantalising detail here: close enough to win, frustrating enough to suggest the breakthrough could be coming.

Brian Hughes, one of the most respected jump jockeys in the north of England, has partnered Monaco Rules five times without getting his head in front — a partnership that has so far produced plenty of effort and zero rewards. That's not unusual for a horse at this level; Hughes rides dozens of horses in this position, always searching for the right race at the right moment. The fact he keeps getting the call suggests the yard hasn't given up on finding the formula.

Micky Hammond trains out of Middleham in North Yorkshire, one of racing's great training centres, perched high on the moors. His operation has sent out 25 winners already this season, which shows this is a yard that knows how to get horses winning — Monaco Rules is just the puzzle they haven't quite solved yet. Most of its races have come at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — not the elite stuff, but not the bottom rung either. Winning nothing from five attempts at that level is a concern, though the place finishes suggest the gap between Monaco Rules and victory isn't as wide as the record implies. Sometimes a horse just needs the stars to align: the right track, the right conditions, the right day. At six, there's still time.