Gone By

The wins came early in the season: first at Ripon in early June, then at Salisbury at the end of the month. That second victory was four months ago now, and since then Gone By has been knocking on the door without quite getting through. Two second-place finishes and a third in the last six outings suggest the horse still has the ability but has hit a period where things aren't quite clicking. That's not unusual for a young horse learning its trade, and the consistency of top-3 finishes shows there's genuine ability there.

Ralph Beckett's yard at Kimpton has been in excellent form this season — 107 winners is serious business — and that kind of operation knows how to manage a horse's development. Gone By was active as recently as yesterday, so there's clearly a plan in place to keep it in work and chasing another win. Whether that comes next time or takes a few more runs is the question, but the raw ingredients are there.