Electric Bass

Roger Teal, who trains Electric Bass from his yard in Lambourn, has sent out 22 winners this season and knows what a good thing looks like. He describes the horse as a bit buzzy — which usually means plenty of energy to harness — but says it has come on noticeably in recent months. He points to a second-place finish at Southwell on its return to action as genuinely encouraging, and there is still obvious frustration about a Kempton run last November when the horse finished first only to be demoted to second by the stewards. In other words, there is a case to be made that Electric Bass has already done enough to deserve a win on the board.

The recent form makes for interesting reading. In its last six races it has finished third, fifth, second, second, fifth, fifth — still placing, still competitive, but without the consistency to turn promise into prize money. Jack Mitchell has been in the saddle for six of those efforts without managing to find the winner's enclosure together, though the two placed efforts suggest the partnership is not without merit. Class 6 is the level Electric Bass typically competes at — the entry-level tier of British racing — and it has yet to win in eight attempts at that grade, which only adds to the puzzle of a horse that clearly has ability but has not yet converted it.

Teal's phrase "a winner waiting to happen" is the kind of thing trainers say, but given the evidence — nine places, a result that should have been a win, and a horse reportedly moving well at home — it does not feel like empty optimism. Electric Bass raced just yesterday and is very much in active training. Whether it finally gets that first win or keeps its supporters permanently on edge is the question it has been posing for 15 races now.