Book Of Life

The recent form paints a picture of modest but consistent effort. Over the last six runs, the horse has picked up a couple of places—a second and a seventh—but has otherwise drifted through the middle of the field. That seventh-place finish just a day ago shows Book Of Life remains active, still being asked to compete despite its struggles. Patrick Morris, the trainer at Prescott in Merseyside, has managed 18 winners this season, so the yard is hardly struggling; Book Of Life is simply a horse that is hard to get into the winner's circle. The partnership with jockey Ryan Kavanagh has yielded nothing from eight rides together, which suggests the match may not be firing, though with such a tough horse to place, that blank record is hardly surprising.

The one bright spot in Book Of Life's profile is its performance at middle distances between 1 mile 1 furlong and 1 mile 2 furlongs, where it has managed that single win from 21 races—a 5 per cent win rate. Even that feels like grasping at straws. This is a horse that may have found its level, and that level is simply not a winning one.