Sup Of Red

The most consistent face in the saddle has been James Ryan, who has partnered Sup Of Red in six of those races without managing to get the horse over the line. A 0 from 6 record together tells its own story, though it's worth noting that the horse itself hasn't won for any jockey across its entire career, so Ryan is hardly the problem. The pair raced just yesterday, which at least confirms Sup Of Red is fit, active, and still being given the chance to put things right.

Behind the scenes, Adrian Wintle's yard at Westbury-On-Severn in Gloucestershire has had a productive season — 28 winners sent out is a healthy return and suggests a yard that knows what it's doing. Wintle is clearly not giving up on Sup Of Red, which in itself says something. Trainers with busier, more successful horses on the books don't keep running a horse that isn't performing unless they believe a breakthrough is possible. The recent form of 7-2-5-4-5 is mixed but not desperate — that second-place finish stands out as proof the horse can at least find its way to the front of the pack on a good day.

Whether Sup Of Red can eventually convert promise into a win remains the open question. At three years old, there is still time on its side, and a yard firing on all cylinders this season is as good a place as any to find that first victory.