Le Rouge Chinois

Where the horse does show some promise is in Class 5 races, the bread-and-butter level of British racing. In these contests it has won 2 of 13 (about 15% of the time), which is a genuine strength and suggests it is competitive among similar-grade horses. This is where it belongs, and where it has done most of its running. The trouble is recent form has been deeply uninspiring. Over its last six races it has finished unplaced, third, second, second, fifth and fifth — a run that shows occasional promise with those two placed efforts but little sign of a return to the winner's enclosure.

Michael Appleby's Oakham yard continues to fire in winners this season, but Le Rouge Chinois has not been one of them in the recent past. Alistair Rawlinson, its most regular jockey, rode it in 6 races and won on it just once (roughly 1 in every 6 rides), which is slightly better than the horse's overall record but nothing to shout about. The horse raced just a day ago, so it remains active and in work. At this stage of its career, Le Rouge Chinois looks like a horse that has given its best and now lingers on the fringes of the better performers, a competitive Class 5 horse hoping for one more good day.