Misemerald

Both wins came in the summer of 2023 — first at Beverley in late June, then at Ayr in mid-July — and that's where the story gets a little bittersweet. Those two victories are now 34 months in the rearview mirror, and Misemerald hasn't managed to add a third since. The last six results make for tough reading: a mix of mid-pack finishes with a third place thrown in, but nothing closer to the front than that. The horse is clearly still trying — it raced just yesterday — but the winner's enclosure feels a long way off right now.

The partnership with jockey Andrew Mullen is the most encouraging thread to pull on. In nine races together, they've won 2 — that's a win rate of around 1 in 4.5, or roughly 22%. For context, that's comfortably better than the horse's overall record and suggests there's something in that particular combination worth watching. When Mullen is in the saddle, Misemerald clearly runs a better race.

The bigger puzzle is what happens at Class 4 level, which is where Misemerald competes most often. In seven races at that grade, the horse has won precisely none of them — 0 from 7. Both wins actually came at a lower level of competition, which raises an honest question about whether Class 4 is simply a step too far on a consistent basis. Trainer Philip Kirby, based in North Yorkshire, has had a productive season with 34 winners from his yard, so the training operation is clearly firing. Misemerald just hasn't been able to capitalise on that form. At 5 years old and still active, there's time — but the clock is ticking on turning promise into something more than a pleasant memory from the summer of 2023.