Rokuni

The recent form makes for uncomfortable reading. Over the last six races, Rokuni has finished 10th, 12th, 11th, 9th, 6th, and 3rd — that third place being the only glimmer of promise in a sequence that trends in the wrong direction. A horse finishing 12th and 11th is not just losing, it is struggling to be competitive, and those results will concern Charlie Wallis, the trainer based in Ardleigh, Essex, whose yard has otherwise been in decent nick this season with 7 winners.

The partnership with jockey Christian Howarth has yet to click — seven rides together and no wins between them. That is not necessarily a damning verdict on either party, but it does mean there is no proven combination waiting to unlock something.

Where Rokuni does show its best form is over the shorter distances, between five and six-and-a-half furlongs, where it has won 1 from 12 races — around 1 in every 12 attempts at those trips. That sole Brighton win came over this kind of distance, suggesting if there is another victory in this horse, it likely comes on a sharp, quick track over a sprint trip. Brighton, with its unique downhill camber and fast nature, suited Rokuni once before, and that may be worth keeping in mind.

At Class 5 — the level where the competition is least fierce in Britain — Rokuni has won 1 from 11 races, roughly 1 in 11 attempts. The honest truth is that a horse with a 3% win rate from 30 races is one that teases more than it delivers. Rokuni raced just yesterday and remains active, so the team clearly has not given up. Whether another Brighton summer can produce a repeat of 2024 remains to be seen.