My Cullen

The recent form makes for difficult reading. In its last six races, My Cullen has finished sixth twice, fifth once, and picked up a pair of second-place finishes — the only real bright spots in an otherwise frustrating spell. That most recent second place feels like the closest thing to a clue: the horse clearly has moments where it runs well, but turning those moments into a win has so far proved beyond it. It last raced 45 days ago, so the short break may have been designed to freshen it up ahead of another attempt.

Brendan Powell has stuck with My Cullen through thick and thin, riding it in seven of its 12 races without managing a win together. That kind of loyalty from a jockey usually means the team believes there is something worth persisting with — but seven attempts without success is a long audition. The horse typically competes at Class 5, which is the entry level of British racing, and it has still not managed to win there across five attempts. Winning at Class 5 should be the easiest assignment a horse can get, so going winless at that level raises real questions about when, or whether, the day will come.

Trainer John Joseph Hanlon has sent out 12 winners this season, which shows the yard knows how to get horses to the winner's enclosure. My Cullen, for now, remains the exception rather than the rule. At six years old, time is not necessarily running out — horses can win at any age — but every race that passes without a victory makes the task feel a little steeper. For anyone following this horse, hope comes in the shape of those two placed efforts in recent form. Whether that translates into a win is the question the Hanlon team is still waiting to answer.