Delta Blues Belle

The trouble is that she has not won since February, nine months ago now. Her last six races tell a familiar story: a second-place finish most recently, then a sixth, a win at position one (which appears to be a data anomaly in the running order), a seventh, a ninth, and a fifth. She is still racing — she ran just yesterday — but the form has been patchy and the wins have dried up entirely.

What works in her favour is the stable. Dan Skelton's yard at Alcester has sent out 198 winners this season alone, and he knows how to prepare a horse to win at the right level. For Delta Blues Belle to fulfil her potential, she needs to stay in Class 5 races where her record suggests she can compete. If the yard keep her at her level, there is no reason why she cannot find her way to the winner's circle again. At six years old, she is still in her prime, and at 12% career win rate, she is far from washed up — she simply needs to be aimed at the races where she has already proved she belongs.