Battle Point

That Lingfield win remains the defining moment of Battle Point's career so far. Beyond the victory itself, the horse has managed 10 places — finishing close enough to matter, but not quite getting there. Class 6 is the entry level of British racing, and even at that tier Battle Point has won just 1 of 41 races, a 2% win rate that tells you this is a horse who competes honestly without troubling the winner's enclosure very often.

William Carson rides Battle Point more than anyone else, partnering the horse in 17 of those 52 races and winning once together — that is 1 win from 17, or roughly 6%. Carson is clearly the team's preferred partner, and that loyalty says something about the working relationship between horse and rider, even if the results have been modest. Trainer Michael Attwater, based in Epsom, Surrey, is having a decent season with 27 winners sent out from his yard, so the operation clearly knows how to win races — Battle Point is simply one of those horses that makes life difficult.

The recent form does not offer much encouragement either. The last six results read 7-7-5-10-4-4, finishing in the top five twice but never threatening the lead. Battle Point raced just yesterday, which means this is an active, regularly campaigned horse — Attwater keeps it busy, and there is something admirable about a yard that persists with a horse through 52 races without a win. Whether that persistence eventually pays off with a second trip to the winner's enclosure is the question. Lingfield was the scene of the magic once before, so perhaps that is where to look if you are feeling optimistic.