Defying Gravity

That fifth place came earliest in the sequence, and things have moved in the wrong direction since. The recent run of 5-10-12-14 is a form line heading the wrong way, with the horse finishing further back with almost every outing. Last seen racing just a day ago, it is clearly still being given chances by trainer Andrew Hamilton, whose yard has sent out three winners this season — so there is some ability in the stable, just not yet from this particular horse.

At the level Defying Gravity competes — Class 4, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — it has managed zero wins from three attempts. That is a level where horses are generally modest rather than exceptional, which makes the lack of any impact all the more stark. There is no obvious moment of promise to point to, no near-miss that suggests a win is just around the corner. Andrew Hamilton will be hoping something clicks, but right now, the racecourse record offers very little encouragement.