Byron Hill

His recent form makes that picture even clearer. In his last six races he has finished third, fourth, third, fourth, third, and sixth — a sequence so consistent it almost looks choreographed. He is finishing in the top four in five of those six outings, which means he is running well, just not well enough. For anyone watching him race, he would be a frustrating but oddly compelling sight: always there, never quite there.

His last win came at Carlisle in October 2024, which is now 18 months ago. Before that, his first career win was at Ffos Las in September 2022 — so in roughly two and a half years of racing, he has managed just the two victories. Most of his racing life has been spent at Class 4 level, which sits in the mid-tier of British racing, and at that level his record reads 1 win from 19 races, or about 1 in every 19 attempts. He has found that particular grade a tough nut to crack.

He is trained by Patrick Neville at a yard in Coverham, North Yorkshire, and the team has sent out 27 winners this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses winning. Byron Hill, to his credit, is still racing and still placing — he ran just today, which says something about his durability at nine. Whether that elusive third career win is coming is another question, but on recent evidence, he will keep making whoever finishes first work for it.