Ring Fenced

That sole career victory came at Kempton Park in January 2023, and Ring Fenced has not been back to the winner's enclosure since. Forty months is a long time between wins, and with six races in that drought, the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. Recent form reads 3-2-5-11-3-10, which is a mixed picture — there are some decent placings in there, particularly that second and two third-place finishes, but also some performances that suggest the horse can go missing on its day.

The most intriguing subplot here is the partnership with jockey Aiden Brookes. The two have been paired together 15 times, and not once have they reached the winner's enclosure — 0 from 15 is a run of near-misses and disappointments that must be frustrating for everyone involved. To put it plainly, that is a lot of chances without a breakthrough. The trainer, Micky Hammond, operates out of Middleham in North Yorkshire and has sent out 24 winners this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get horses to win. The problem has simply been that Ring Fenced has not been one of them.

Where Ring Fenced does show its best form is over distances between a mile and three furlongs and a mile and four furlongs — one win from nine races at those trips, a win rate of 11%, which is considerably better than its overall record. That figure, roughly 1 in every 9 races at the right distance, hints at a horse that at least has a profile that should suit certain races. It typically competes at Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter level of British racing, and has won 1 from 8 at that level. Having raced just yesterday, Ring Fenced is very much still active and still giving the yard — the trainer and team — reason to keep trying.