Chuzzlewit

What makes the horse worth a second look is the trainer's belief, which has never quite faded. When Chuzzlewit won on debut at Ayr back in September 2022, Kevin Ryan — who trained the horse at that point — was effusive, saying he thought the world of him and that he had no idea how good he could be. That kind of talk raises expectations, and perhaps that is part of the problem: a horse spoken about in those terms carries a weight of promise that is hard to live up to across three and a half seasons of racing.

The current handler, Seb Spencer, is no slouch — his yard has sent out 13 winners already this season — and he has been candid about one key lesson learned. When Chuzzlewit ran in a big race and hit wet, muddy ground, he simply got lost in it. Spencer's view is that the horse ran better than the finishing position showed, and that fast, dry conditions are where he belongs. That is a useful piece of information for anyone following the horse: ignore him in the wet, watch him when the ground is quick.

What is harder to explain away is the record with jockey Tom Eaves — 0 wins from 15 races together. No partnership in racing produces results every time, but 15 races without a win is a long run, and it is difficult to ignore. The horse does place often enough — 7 times in 36 races — so he is competitive at this level without quite converting. His recent form reads 2-11-7-5-4-10, a sequence that drifts rather than surges. He raced just yesterday, which means the team clearly still believe there is something to find. Whether they are right is the question that has been hanging over Chuzzlewit for the better part of three years.