City House

That single win came at Kempton Park in October 2023, and it remains the solitary high point of a career that is now 31 months removed from that moment. Since then, City House has raced six more times without winning, with recent finishes of 7th, 4th, 2nd, 5th, 4th, and 8th. The second place in that sequence is the glimmer — it shows the ability is still somewhere in there — but the overall picture is of a horse that has gone cold since its one big day.

What makes the record particularly hard to improve is where City House tends to be asked to compete. Seven of its 20 races have come at Class 2 level, which means some of the better-quality races in Britain. Against that company, the record reads zero wins from seven attempts. That is not a disgrace — these are serious fields — but it does suggest City House is being pitched into races where the bar is set right at the top of its range. The McGuinness yard has been in fine form this season, sending out 39 winners, so the talent and ambition are clearly there. Whether City House can find another winning performance to match those surroundings is the question hanging over its next appearance.