Ashen

What makes Ashen's profile interesting is the gap between its best surface and where it is being asked to run. Over distances between seven furlongs and a mile, the horse has managed one win from eleven races, a 9 per cent return that suggests real form at this trip. Yet when Ashen steps up to Class 5 races—the top tier of racing—it is 0 for 7, unable to land a blow against the stronger opposition. The horse seems built for races a notch or two down the ladder. Jim Goldie's Uplawmoor yard is a productive operation with 88 winners this season, but they have not yet found the right level for Ashen to thrive. Recent form tells the story: two second places in the last six runs show the horse is not entirely out of it, but a fifth-place finish and runs outside the frame suggest inconsistency. Ashen remains active and was last seen only a day ago, so there is still time for the yard to place it where it belongs—where it can convert that rare talent for winning into something more than a memory from May.