Al Baahy

His most recent win came at Lingfield Park on January 31st of this year, eight months ago now. That's a long time to wait for another victory, and his form through his last six races tells a familiar story: the occasional close call (a fifth at his most recent outing, a fifth before that) mixed with runs that never quite got the job done. He was last seen finishing tenth just yesterday, so the yard are keeping him active and searching for another opening.

The Averham Park team of Kevin and Lauren Frost have clearly found something to work with here. Al Baahy runs best over a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs, and at that distance he has won one from three races—a 33% win rate that stands in sharp contrast to his overall record. It suggests they understand what brings out his best. He also performs noticeably better in Class 6 company, where he has won twice from twenty races (10%), compared to his overall figures. Jack Mitchell rode him to that Lingfield victory and has been his most regular jockey, though wins have not followed often—just once from eight races together.

Al Baahy is the kind of horse that will likely never make headlines or turn up on television, but he represents the backbone of British racing: a genuine, game animal who goes out race after race looking for that next chance. For a seven-year-old in his fifties starts, the finish line will always be the hardest one to reach, but the team keeps believing there is more to come.