Run Wild Fred

What makes the story more complicated is where Run Wild Fred has been asked to compete. Three of its races have come at the very top level — Class 1, the elite tier of British racing — and it has not won any of them. That takes some nerve to enter a horse there, but it also means this is not a horse being protected by easy assignments. It has been tested against the best, and the results reflect that.

Jack Kennedy, one of the more respected jockeys in the sport, has partnered this horse five times without finding the winner's enclosure together — 0 wins from 5 attempts. That is not a criticism of either horse or rider; sometimes a partnership just does not click, or the right day simply has not come around yet. The most recent form figures tell a similar story of near-misses and absences rather than victories, with a third-place finish the brightest moment in the last six outings.

Still, Run Wild Fred raced just one day ago, which means this is a horse still being trained and still turning up. At 12, that longevity in itself is worth something — these animals do not keep racing at the top level simply out of habit. The team clearly believes there is still a performance worth waiting for, even if Navan 2021 remains the one shining chapter in an otherwise quietly stubborn career.