Into Combat has finished no better than sixth across its last six races, with a string of eighth and tenth-place finishes that suggest a horse yet to find its feet at any level. It has never troubled the judges in any of its four runs at Class 5, which is already toward the lower end of the sport's ladder. A horse that can't make an impact there is facing questions about where, if anywhere, it can compete effectively.
What makes this puzzling is the quality of the operation behind it. Sir Mark Prescott's yard in Newmarket has sent out 47 winners already this season — that is a yard firing on all cylinders, with a trainer whose reputation for patient, precise placement of horses is as good as anyone in Britain. Prescott is known for finding exactly the right race at exactly the right moment for horses that others might give up on. The fact that Into Combat has been given seven chances suggests there is something the team believes in, even if the racecourse hasn't seen it yet. But patience has limits, and seven blank runs is a significant test of faith in any horse.
Into Combat ran just one day ago, so this story is very much still being written. Whether the next chapter looks any different remains to be seen.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 4 Jul | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 17 Aug | 0% |
| Beverley Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 17 Sep | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 20 Jun | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 17 Aug | 0% |
| chelmsford | 1 | 1 other | 28 Aug | 0% |