Merciless

The recent form makes for difficult reading. Back-to-back eleventh-place finishes in its last two races suggest Merciless is currently struggling to compete at whatever level it is being asked to race at, and a run as recently as yesterday means the yard — sorry, the yard — have clearly not given up on finding an opportunity for improvement. Halley's team have sent out two winners this season, so the horses are running and the stable is functional, but Merciless has not been one of those bright spots.

At three years old, there is still time. Plenty of horses take a while to figure things out, and a yard that keeps running a horse this regularly clearly believes there is something worth unlocking. But right now, Merciless is a horse whose results have been anything but.