Grimese's Special

Recent form tells a mixed story. In the last six races, Grimese's Special has finished fifth, eighth, thirteenth, fifth again, sixth, and then fifth most recently, just a day ago. Those are not the figures of a horse about to break through again, but they do not suggest anything fundamentally wrong either. The eighth and thirteenth placings stand out as tougher outings, and the consistent fifth-place finishes hint at a horse that is competitive enough to be in the mix but not quite sharp enough to win from where it is being asked to run.

Trainer J S Moore, based at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, has a yard firing on all cylinders this season with 17 winners already. That suggests horses are in good form there, and it raises the question of why Grimese's Special has not found another winning opportunity. The gap between that Salisbury success and now suggests either the horse has gone up in class, where the competition is stiffer, or it is simply waiting for the right race to fall into place. At three years old, there is time yet for another breakthrough—but the pattern of recent runs suggests it will take a drop in the level of opposition, or a real stroke of luck in the draw, for it to get back to the winner's circle.