Timebar

The recent form makes for sobering reading: an eighth, a second, a fourth, a third, and two fifths in its last six outings. That second place is a small encouragement — proof the ability is somewhere in there — but it has been surrounded by a lot of near-misses and distant finishes. Jockey Lewis Edmunds has been in the saddle for half of Timebar's career, riding the horse in 8 of its 16 races, and the pair have yet to break through together. That's a long partnership without a win to show for it.

Timebar competes almost exclusively at Class 6, the lowest tier of British racing, and has gone 0 from 9 at that level. Class 6 is where horses run who are finding it hard to win anywhere else, so going winless there suggests this is a horse that is genuinely finding things tough rather than one being saved for bigger occasions. Trainer Roy Bowring, based in Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire, has sent out 5 winners this season from his yard, so the stable clearly knows how to get a horse into the winner's circle — Timebar just hasn't been one of them yet.

What keeps things interesting is that Timebar raced just yesterday and is clearly still active and being given chances. That second place in recent form shows the horse can get competitive, and two placed finishes from 16 races means someone in the team still believes there is a win lurking. Whether that belief is eventually rewarded is the question every racing fan asks about a horse like this — and the honest answer is that the clock is ticking.