Paragon

What makes it particularly puzzling is where Paragon has been competing. Class 6 is the lowest tier of British racing — these are the races specifically designed to give horses like Paragon a chance to win. And yet in eight races at that level, the record is still a blank. Five places suggest there's some ability here, that Paragon isn't simply making up the numbers, but there's clearly a gap between running respectably and getting its head in front.

The recent form tells a consistent story of mid-pack finishes — fourth, sixth, fourth, seventh, fourth, sixth in the last six races. There's a stubborn pattern there. Paragon keeps showing up, keeps finishing in the mix, and keeps coming home without the prize. The horse raced just yesterday, so the yard are clearly still trying, and trainer Pam Sly — based at Thorney in Cambridgeshire — has sent out seven winners from her yard this season, which shows the stable knows how to get a horse over the line. The fact that Paragon hasn't been one of them is conspicuous.

Whether there's a first win coming eventually is genuinely hard to say. The placed finishes suggest Paragon isn't without merit, but sixteen races is a meaningful sample size, and the pattern at Class 6 — where winning is about as attainable as it gets — gives little reason for confidence. For now, Paragon remains one of racing's most reliable nearly-horses.