Robert Anstruther

The recent form figures — 7, 4, 7, 4, 5, 4 — paint a consistent picture, just not a flattering one. Those repeated fourths suggest Robert Anstruther is not getting embarrassed out there; finishing fourth means there are usually only three horses ahead of you. But it also means the winner's enclosure has stayed stubbornly out of reach across every single outing. Not once has this horse even picked up a place finish — the kind of minor reward that at least keeps the yard optimistic. Six races without even a third is tough going.

Henry Candy's yard at Kingston Warren in Oxfordshire has sent out nine winners this season, so the stable clearly knows how to get horses to the line first. Candy is an experienced handler, which means Robert Anstruther is at least in capable hands. Whether the horse needs more time, a different track, or simply a softer assignment to unlock something remains to be seen — but raced just one day ago, it is clearly still being given every opportunity to find its feet.

At Class 4 level — roughly the middle tier of British racing, not the glamour end — Robert Anstruther is zero from three, which means even at this relatively accessible level, a win has not come. That is the honest reality. Some horses take longer than others to click, and a three-year-old still has room to develop. But right now, this is a horse whose profile is defined almost entirely by what has not happened yet.