Mystic Moment

The issue seems to be a question of distance. Trainer Neil Mulholland, based at Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, has found that Mystic Moment thrives when given room to stretch — over seven furlongs to a mile, she has won 1 of 7 races, more than double her overall record. Mulholland noted before her breakthrough that she had shown real promise over the shorter six-furlong trips, finishing second twice, but that the extra yardage would suit her better. His hunch proved right at Epsom. Since then, however, the wins have dried up, and she has not triumphed at a top-level race despite three attempts at that grade.

Charles Bishop has been her regular partner, but they have yet to find the answer together, with no wins from five rides. The yard itself remains in good form — Mulholland has sent out sixty winners this season — so the issue is specific to this horse rather than a broader decline. At three years old, Mystic Moment still has time to recapture the form that won her that summer day at Epsom, but the thirteen-month drought suggests she may have found her level: a capable minor-league racer who can place regularly but struggles to win when it matters most.