Hot To Foxtrot

The pattern in those recent runs tells you something about where this horse sits in the pecking order. Third-place, then sixth, then third again, then 12th, then another sixth — it's the profile of a horse that can stay competitive on certain days and against certain fields, but hasn't found a race it can actually win. After 14 attempts without a victory, the odds aren't shortening that it will suddenly click, but horses do have turning points. Trainer John James Feane, who runs his yard at Curragh in County Kildare, has sent eight winners out this season, so there's clearly form in the stable. Whether Hot To Foxtrot is next to break through is another matter. What's certain is that the horse is active and still racing — yesterday's outing shows it hasn't given up the game yet, and neither, clearly, has the team backing it.