Hopjes

The recent form makes for tough reading. Looking at the last six races in reverse order, Hopjes has finished sixth, sixth, third, fifth, ninth, and seventh — that third place being the closest thing to a breakthrough, a flash of promise that hasn't yet been built upon. Racing almost exclusively at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle tier of British racing, Hopjes has drawn a blank in all four races at that grade. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is very much a live proposition right now, still out there competing week to week.

What keeps this interesting is the yard around it. Harriet Dickin's operation is a modest one, and three winners from a small string this season is a perfectly respectable return — meaning Dickin clearly knows how to get a horse to win. The question is simply whether Hopjes can become the fourth. Fourteen races is a long time to go without winning, and for a 6-year-old, the window for improvement is not unlimited. But the horse keeps running, keeps placing occasionally, and keeps showing up — and in racing, that counts for something.