Truly Special

What makes this worth watching is context. Truly Special competes at Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — these are the races designed for horses that are still learning the game or that find life difficult at higher levels. Even there, the record reads zero wins from three attempts, so this isn't a horse that dominates its level and is simply unlucky. That said, a placing has been banked, which means the talent is somewhere in the locker. It just hasn't translated into a win yet.

John Wainwright trains Truly Special out of Norton in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out four winners already this season — so the operation clearly knows how to get a horse ready to win. If there's a performance in this horse, Wainwright is capable of finding it. Truly Special raced just one day ago, so the team is keeping this horse busy and active, which can sometimes be exactly the approach that clicks things into place for a younger horse still figuring it all out.

At three years old, there is still time. Some horses take longer to mature, longer to understand what's being asked of them, and longer to find their best conditions. The question is whether Truly Special can turn that one place into a win before the season is out.