On Key

The recent form makes for difficult reading. Over the last six races, On Key has finished 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 7th and 5th — a sequence that suggests a horse hovering just outside the places rather than threatening the front. The 12th-place finish stands out as a particularly tough day at the office, and there is no obvious upward trend to encourage optimism right now.

Jockey Ryan Sexton has been the regular partner, taking the ride in 7 of those 14 races without a win to show for it. That is a long run together without reward, though it does at least suggest a settled partnership that the trainer Scott Dixon has persisted with. Dixon's yard at Rolleston in Nottinghamshire has been in decent form this season — 34 winners is a solid return — so it is not as though On Key is operating out of a struggling stable. The horse simply has not found a way to win yet.

Most of On Key's racing has come at Class 5 level, which represents the lower end of the British racing ladder — essentially the grade where horses are most likely to find races they can be competitive in. Eight races at that level without a win is a notable statistic. It means even in the most accessible grade of racing, On Key has not been able to get its nose in front. With a race just yesterday, the team are clearly still trying to find the right opportunity, and at four years old there is still time. But the clock is ticking, and the first win — whenever it comes — will be well earned.