Ultra Viers

The numbers are as stark as they come. In 14 races at Class 5 — the entry-level tier of British racing — Ultra Viers has not managed a single victory. That is the level where horses are supposed to find their footing, where the competition is at its most modest. And yet that one place finish, somewhere in the record, suggests the ability to at least threaten without ever quite delivering. Jockey Mr Joseph Stevenson has partnered the horse six times now and is still waiting for a first win together, a partnership that has produced plenty of experience and precious little reward.

Recent form tells a similar story: a string of fourth and fifth-place finishes, which means Ultra Viers is rarely disgracing itself but never threatening to trouble the judge either. Fourth and fifth are the finishes of a horse that competes honestly, tucks in somewhere mid-pack, and finishes where it started the day — just outside anything that matters. At ten, with this many races under its belt and no wins to show, the realistic hope is probably a day when everything clicks just enough to finally grab one.