Military Cross

That recent form string tells the story clearly: in the last six races, Military Cross has finished second twice, third twice, second again, and then fourteenth — that fourteenth being the only real clunker in an otherwise frustratingly tidy record. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is right in the thick of an active campaign, and the team around it clearly believe there is a win in there somewhere, because they keep running it.

The level Military Cross competes at is Class 5, which sits toward the lower end of the British racing ladder. At that level, 0 wins from 4 races is not a disaster — it just means the horse has not yet found a race soft enough to win, despite clearly being competitive. Trainer Sam England, based in Guiseley in West Yorkshire, is in decent form this season with 49 winners sent out, so this is a yard that knows how to win races. The fact that Military Cross keeps finishing close but not close enough will not be lost on them.

The question that hangs over this horse is a simple one: is it a horse that genuinely cannot win, or is it one race away from finally getting its nose in front? Eight places from nine races suggests real ability — you do not finish in the frame that often by accident. At some point the planets may align: the right race, the right conditions, the right day. When it does win, it will have been a long time coming.