Hackney Hill

The recent form makes for tough reading. Finishing sixth, eighth, sixth, then third and then an unplaced run in the most recent outing, the horse has shown the occasional flicker — that third place finish suggests there is some ability buried in there — but it has never quite been able to turn a promising run into a result when it counts.

What keeps the story interesting is who is doing the training. Paul Nicholls, based at Ditcheat in Somerset, is one of the most decorated trainers in Britain, and his yard has sent out 93 winners already this season alone. That is a remarkable number — it means horses are winning roughly every three or four days on average. When a trainer of that quality keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe there is a race to be won somewhere. Nicholls does not tend to waste time or stable space on horses with nothing left to offer. The fact that Hackney Hill is still in training at Ditcheat is, in its own quiet way, a small vote of confidence.

The short break of 33 days since its last race is worth noting too. It is not a lengthy absence — more of a freshen-up than a full reset — which suggests the team are keeping the horse ticking over and ready to go again rather than sending it back to the drawing board. Whether that leads to a first win remains to be seen, but Hackney Hill's story is not quite finished yet.