Talking Tough

The recent form makes for difficult reading. A fifteenth-place finish in the most distant of the last six recorded runs has given way to a pair of blank results, then an eighth, a seventh, and most recently a fourth — which at least suggests some momentum back towards respectability, even if the winner's enclosure remains as far away as ever. Talking Tough raced just one day ago, so whatever shape it is in right now, we are seeing it in real time.

Wesley Joyce has been the regular partner for this horse, riding in all six of the most recent races together and yet to share a winning moment. That is not necessarily a criticism of either horse or jockey — some partnerships are built on patience — but six rides, zero wins, and a horse that has never won from 45 attempts does paint a particular picture. At nine years old, Talking Tough is at an age where most horses with big ambitions have long since delivered on them. The fact that it keeps racing is a credit to whoever is keeping it in training, even if the results have not followed.

There is something almost admirable about a horse that has lined up 45 times and kept finding a way to finish close enough to place, even without winning. Six placed finishes from 45 races means it has shown up in the money just over 1 in every 7 races — not a blank record by any means, but also a reminder that being competitive and being a winner are two very different things. Talking Tough has carved out a career on the right side of that line, just never quite the right side of the winning post.