Ay Up Duck

The Yorkshire horse, trained by Michael Appleby at Oakham, has tasted success twice: first at Southwell in late April, then again at Doncaster three months later in July. That win at Doncaster came eight weeks ago, and since then the horse has failed to hit the mark, finishing sixth, twelfth, first, seventh, eighth, and eighth in its last six races. The most recent outing was just a day ago, suggesting the horse is still being campaigned hard, but that sequence of results — particularly the pair of eighths — suggests it may be struggling to recapture the form that earned it that midsummer success. Even the first-place finish in that run looks to have come in a weaker-than-usual race, sandwiched between two poor efforts.

Appleby's yard is in fine fettle this season with 71 winners sent out, so Ay Up Duck is hardly getting lost in a struggling operation. But for now, this horse remains a mid-tier performer — capable of winning a moderate race, but not yet one you would back with confidence. It will need to show some consistency over the coming weeks to suggest it is developing into something better.