Alpaca's Bullet

The consistent finishes around seventh and eighth are almost telling in their own way. This is not a horse that has been unlucky, squeezed out of a place finish by a photo — it has simply been beaten comfortably each time. Four races in and the record reads zero from four, with nothing to suggest the margins have been closing.

The horse is trained by Adam Kirby at his yard in Kirtling, on the outskirts of Newmarket, which is the heartland of British flat racing. Kirby's team has sent out six winners this season, so there is life in the yard — Alpaca's Bullet just hasn't been part of it yet. Having raced as recently as yesterday, the horse is clearly active and presumably being given every opportunity to find its feet. At two years old, there is at least time on its side — some horses take a while to work out what racing is all about. But the clock is ticking on the season, and the record so far makes for difficult reading.