Blazing Court

That one win came at Worcester in August 2024, and it remains the sole highlight of the career. Twenty months have passed since, and in the six races since that victory Blazing Court has not come close to repeating it, finishing as far back as fifteenth on one occasion. The recent form figures — a blank, fifth, fifteenth, fourth, fifth, and third — paint a picture of a horse that occasionally finds a decent gear but cannot string it all together when it matters.

The partnership with regular rider Mr John Dixon has produced nothing in eight races together, a record that raises questions about whether this particular combination is the right one to unlock whatever is left in the tank. It is worth noting that Blazing Court has raced most frequently at Class 5 level — the lower end of the British racing ladder — and has not won any of those 10 races. That is the level at which horses of this profile are supposed to be competitive, which makes the blank record there all the more telling.

What you have with Blazing Court is a horse that has been around long enough to know the job, races regularly, and keeps finding its way into the frame without delivering the result. One win from 20 races is a modest return for any horse, let alone one that has been competing at the less demanding end of the sport. Still racing, still turning up — there is something to be said for that. Whether another win is coming is the question its team will be asking themselves.