That solitary place — a third — sits between four fourth-place finishes, which tells its own story. Shushi is consistently competitive, always thereabouts, but has not yet found a way to get its head in front. Whether that changes comes down to finding the right race at the right moment, and that is very much a work in progress. Racing just one day ago, this is a horse very much in the thick of its season rather than one being wrapped up for the winter.
What works in Shushi's favour is the stable behind it. Andrew Balding's yard at Kingsclere in Hampshire has sent out 204 winners this season alone — that is a remarkable level of output, and it means Shushi is in the care of one of the busiest and most effective training operations in the country. A yard firing at that volume does not carry passengers; if Shushi is still being aimed at races, the team clearly believe there is a win in this horse somewhere. That faith from an operation of this quality is worth something, even if the scoreboard has not caught up yet.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascot Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 5 Sep | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 30 Mar | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 25 Apr | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 8 Aug | 0% |