Midnight Gun

What makes the record a little puzzling is where Midnight Gun tends to be asked to compete. Four of its races have come at Class 2 level — among the better contests in Britain — and it has yet to win at that grade, going 0 from 4. That is not necessarily a disgrace; these are tough races against quality rivals. But it does raise a question the trainer Hamad Al Jehani will need to answer: is this horse being pitched into water that is simply too deep? The yard, based at Newmarket in Suffolk, has been in good form this season with 16 winners on the board, so the infrastructure is there — Midnight Gun just hasn't delivered at the top level.

The partnership with James Doyle is another curious thread. The jockey has ridden the horse five times without a win, a record of 0 from 5 together. Doyle is an experienced, high-quality rider, so that blank scorecard is not about inexperience in the saddle. Sometimes a jockey and a horse just don't click, and the numbers suggest this may be one of those combinations. Midnight Gun's two career wins — first at Nottingham in May 2024 and then at Newmarket a month later — both came without that partnership producing results.

Raced just yesterday and still active, Midnight Gun is clearly a horse the team believes in enough to keep running. Whether a return to slightly easier company might unlock another win is the obvious next question. The talent is evidently there — the places and the two wins prove that — but the combination of tough competition, a long losing run, and an unproductive regular partnership means this is a horse at something of a crossroads.