Mr Phillips

Trained by J R Jenkins out of Royston in Hertfordshire, Mr Phillips competes at Class 5, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — the kind of races designed to give horses exactly like him a realistic shot at winning. And yet, even at that level, he has drawn a zero from three attempts. To put that in perspective, Class 5 races are where horses go when they need a softer opportunity, so going winless in three tries there does underline the challenge Jenkins and the team face in finding the right race for him. The yard has sent out six winners this season, so there is form in the stable — it just has not rubbed off on this particular horse yet.

His recent finishing positions tell their own story: 8th, 3rd, 7th, 12th, 10th, 14th. That third place is the one glimmer — a run that suggested he can at least get competitive on the right day — but it sits surrounded by mid-to-back-of-the-field finishes that paint a picture of a horse still searching for consistency. The trend is not obviously improving, and with no win from eight career races, patience is the order of the day for everyone involved.

At five years old, Mr Phillips is not a youngster learning the ropes — he is a horse who should have found his feet by now. Some horses do take time to click, and the Jenkins yard clearly believes there is something worth persisting with, given he ran as recently as yesterday. Whether a change of conditions or a carefully chosen spot can unlock that first win remains to be seen, but right now Mr Phillips is one of racing's works in progress.