Hachiman

The recent form tells a frustrating story. Strip out that Lingfield win and Hachiman has posted a run of 9-7-7-7 in his last four races — finishing well down the field each time. That kind of sequence suggests a horse who is competitive enough to line up but has yet to find a way to repeat that August breakthrough. He raced just two days ago, so the team clearly believes he is in good enough shape to keep him busy, even if the results haven't followed.

At the level he typically competes at — the bread-and-butter end of the sport — he has won 1 from 5 races, or 20%, which is actually a decent ratio when you look at it that way. Winning 1 in every 5 races at that level is respectable, and it suggests that on the right day, in the right race, he is capable. The challenge is finding that right combination again.

He is trained by Ruth Carr at her yard in Stillington, North Yorkshire, a small village operation that has quietly punched above its weight this season with 64 winners sent out. That is a significant number for a yard of its size, and it speaks to Carr's ability to place horses carefully and find the right opportunities. Hachiman has been in patient hands.

At 4 years old, he still has time on his side. But with his last win now over eight months ago and a string of below-par efforts since, he needs something to click soon. Horses at this level can find a groove — a distance, a track, or a set of conditions that suits them — and that Lingfield win is proof he has the ability to land a race when everything falls right. Whether he can rediscover it is the question.