Arcimboldo

The recent form does offer a small thread of optimism. Working backwards through the last six races, the sequence reads 2-3-5-4-4-9 — meaning Arcimboldo finished second, then third, before things went a bit flat. A second and a third in recent outings show the horse can compete, even if winning has so far proved one step too far. It raced just yesterday, so the team at Mike Sowersby's yard in Little Barugh, North Yorkshire, are clearly keeping it busy and believing something can turn.

Sowersby's yard has found the winner's circle eight times already this season, so it's not as though Arcimboldo is operating in a struggling stable. The horse typically competes at Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — the races where horses are finding their feet or looking for the right opportunity. You might think that makes winning easier, but Arcimboldo has had six attempts at that level without success, which suggests it needs something specific to click — the right day, the right conditions, the right moment.

Regular jockey Aiden Brookes has been aboard for five of those races and is yet to steer the horse into the lead at the finish. That partnership hasn't cracked the code yet, but five rides together shows the team has faith the combination could eventually work. In racing, patience and persistence are sometimes the whole game. Arcimboldo hasn't won yet — but it's still very much in the conversation.