Mr Lightside

His two wins came in quick succession in the summer of 2024 — first at Redcar in late June, then at Nottingham just a fortnight later in early July. That was nearly two years ago now, and he has not won since. His last six runs have returned finishes of 7th, 5th, 3rd, 4th, 11th, and 6th — trending the wrong way when you read from oldest to most recent. A third place in there shows he can get close, but close has become something of a habit without the breakthrough to match it.

Part of what makes this interesting is where he is being asked to compete. Five of his races have come at Class 1 level — the very top tier of British racing — and he has not won any of them. That is an ambitious target for a horse with a 1-in-10 win rate overall, and it perhaps explains why the wins have dried up. Jockey Rossa Ryan has partnered him six times without finding the winner's enclosure, though it is worth noting Ryan has been dealing with a difficult horse rather than an easy one.

Michael Appleby's yard at Oakham has been in fine form this season, sending out 74 winners — a genuinely productive season that speaks well of the operation. Mr Lightside, raced just yesterday and still very much active, remains part of those plans. Whether he can rediscover the form that brought those two wins in the space of two sunny weeks back in 2024 is the question. He has shown he knows how to win — he just needs to remember how.