Ice Cold Alex

The problem is what has happened since Pontefract. Six races have come and gone without another win, and the recent form figures — 6-4-4-2-5-5 — tell a story of a horse that keeps finishing mid-pack without ever quite getting its nose in front. That second place in the sequence is the teasing part. It shows the ability is there, lurking somewhere, but converting that into a win has proven elusive. It raced just yesterday, so this is a horse very much in the thick of its season right now.

Part of the explanation may lie in the level Ice Cold Alex is being asked to compete at. Three of its races have come in Class 2 company — some of the better races in Britain — and it has drawn a blank in all three. That is not a disgrace; racing at that level as a three-year-old means facing older, more experienced horses who have already proven themselves. But it does suggest that when the competition stiffens, Ice Cold Alex has not yet found the extra gear needed.

Jockey Cam Hardie has been the regular partner, riding in 5 of the 7 races and picking up that one win together — so 1 from 5, or 20% of their shared rides have ended in victory. That is actually a reasonable return when you consider the overall picture, and it hints that the Hardie-and-Pears combination has found a way to get the best out of this horse at least once. The question now is whether Pontefract was a one-off peak or a sign of what Ice Cold Alex can do when everything clicks. With the season well underway and the horse racing frequently, the next few weeks should give a much clearer answer.