Kill The Groove

The recent form tells an interesting story. A second-place finish three races ago is the highlight, sandwiched between a third and a fourth, which paints a picture of a horse that competes respectably without ever finding that extra gear when it matters most. The last run — a blank, marked with a dash on the form card — is the one to watch, coming just yesterday, so the yard will be assessing how the horse has come through that effort before planning the next move.

Karen Jewell trains Kill The Groove from her yard in Borden, Kent, a small operation that has sent out three winners this season — which tells you this isn't a factory yard churning through large numbers, but a trainer who knows her horses well and places them carefully. Kill The Groove has done most of its racing at Class 5, the bread-and-butter level of the sport where the competition is modest and winning should, in theory, be most achievable. Going 0 from 5 at that level is a concern — these are the races it was presumably entered to win — and it raises a genuine question about whether the horse has the ability to win at any level, or whether the right race simply hasn't come along yet.

At six, time isn't exactly on its side, but horses have won their first race later than this. The placed efforts are at least proof it can run a decent race. The question Kill The Groove needs to answer, and soon, is whether decent is as good as it gets.