Illico de Montave

The partnership between Illico de Montave and its regular jockey Ben Poste has not clicked. They have ridden together in eleven races without a win, a sequence that suggests either the horse and rider are not suited to each other, or simply that the horse's ability has not been equal to the task. Trainer Rosemary Gasson's yard at Balscote in Oxfordshire has managed to send out a winner this season, so the stable is not without merit, but Illico de Montave has not contributed to that tally. In the Class 4 races where it typically competes—one rung below the top level but still respectable company—it has finished winless in six attempts, which tells you the horse is operating at the limit of its capabilities or beyond them.

There is little to suggest a breakthrough is imminent. At eight years old, Illico de Montave is well established in racing, and a horse that has never won by this stage is unlikely to change its fortunes. The recent form shows no upward curve, no near-misses that might promise a win is around the corner. For a horse that races for a modest outlay and operates in middle-ranking competitions, this is simply the story of a horse that has found the racing game beyond it.