Thickthorn Tom

The record reads plainly: no wins and just 2 places from 8 races. That's a horse that has been there or thereabouts on a couple of occasions but hasn't yet managed to get his head in front. His recent form tells a more encouraging story in one direction at least — a second place and a third place in his last two completed runs suggest he is finding some consistency, even if the winner's enclosure remains elusive. Before those, the numbers drop away sharply, with finishes of sixth, seventh, and eighth pointing to a horse that was struggling to land a blow at all.

He races almost exclusively at Class 4 level — the bread-and-butter tier of the sport, well below the big occasions — and has drawn a blank in all four races at that level. That's not a crisis for a horse like this, but at six years old, time isn't exactly on his side. The two recent placed efforts at least suggest something may be clicking. Whether Skelton's team can find the right race to finally get him over the line is the question worth watching.