Payforanother Daay

The recent form makes for interesting reading. Back-to-back third-place finishes suggest a horse that was finding its feet and running well, but the last four runs — finishing sixth, twelfth, fifth, and seventh — show the form has gone in the wrong direction. Raced just yesterday, Payforanother Daay is clearly an active competitor, which at least tells you the team believes there is more to come.

Class 6 is the entry level of British racing, the kind of race designed to give horses exactly like this one a chance to win. And yet, seven races at that level have produced nothing. That is not a crisis, but it is a puzzle worth watching. Trainer Simon Hodgson, based in Dogmersfield in Hampshire, has sent out eight winners this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get a horse in front. The question is whether Payforanother Daay can be next on that list — or whether the elusive first win will keep slipping away.