Late Claim

John Mackie's Church Broughton yard has been sharp this season with 16 winners already, but Late Claim remains a puzzle the trainer hasn't quite solved. The horse runs most often in Class 5 races — the lower tier of competitive racing — yet has managed no wins from five attempts at that level. Finlay Bassett has partnered with the horse seven times and seen nothing but frustration, with zero wins from six races together, suggesting the pairing may need fresh perspective. The pattern that emerges is one of a horse with modest ability that occasionally shows enough to scrape into a place but lacks the finishing kick to cross the line first. For a five-year-old now deep into its racing career, the window for improvement is narrowing, and at the rate Late Claim is going, that single Lingfield success may stand as its only win under saddle.