Gilbertina

Her recent form tells a similar story. In her last six races, the best she's managed is a third place, with a string of fourth and fifth-place finishes filling out the rest. She's competitive enough not to embarrass herself, but not quite sharp enough to get her nose in front. Jockey Charlie Hammond has been her most regular partner, riding her eight times without a single win between them — though that reflects the bigger picture rather than any particular failing on his part.

Nick Kent trains her out of Brigg in Lincolnshire, a yard that has sent out just one winner so far this season. Most of Gilbertina's racing has come at Class 4 level — the bread and butter of jump racing, a step below the glamour events — where she has won 1 from 17 races at that grade, a rate of around 6%. She's a horse who finds her level but rarely rises above it.

What keeps her interesting is that she *has* done it before. Market Rasen on Boxing Day 2022 is proof that she can put a race together on the right day. Whether that day comes around again at nine years old, with form figures that haven't threatened a win in over three years, is the question her team will be quietly hoping she answers.