Night Mission

The recent form makes for interesting reading. A third and a second in runs five and six pointed to a horse that was knocking on the door, but the last three outings have seen it finish ninth, seventh, and fourth — a step in the wrong direction just when things looked promising. Raced as recently as yesterday, Night Mission is clearly kept busy, and that level of activity suggests the team around it believes there is a race to be won somewhere.

The trainer is Michael Appleby, based in Oakham, Rutland, and his yard has been in seriously good form this season — 71 winners and counting. That context matters. A trainer firing in winners at that rate knows how to place a horse to give it the best possible chance, and the fact that Night Mission has not yet broken through is unlikely to be through lack of thought about where and when to run it. Whether the right opportunity has simply not come along yet, or whether this is a horse that just finds a way to get beaten, is the question worth watching. With yesterday's run still fresh in its legs, the answer may not be far away.