Regalian

The past eighteen months have been particularly tough. Since that Newcastle victory, the horse has not won again, though it has picked up four places in its last six outings — suggesting it still has something to offer, even if victory has been elusive. Recent form shows mostly mid-field finishes, with the best result a sixth place just yesterday, which keeps the horse in work and competitive. The real struggle comes when Regalian steps up to Class 2 company, the better grade of racing: it has contested five such races without a win, a clear sign that this horse performs best in lower-level contests where the opposition is less demanding.

Trained by Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood at their Norton yard in North Yorkshire, Regalian remains part of a team that has already sent out a dozen winners this season. At four years old, the horse is approaching the age where improvement becomes less likely, but the occasional place keeps hope alive. It will need to find its way back to the distances and lower grades where it showed early promise, because stepping up in class has not worked so far.