Rory's Royale

Recent form tells the story clearly: a third two days ago, a second before that, then a sixth, a fourth, and an eleventh. That second place came in the horse's last race but without a win, it feels more like a near-miss than genuine progress. With Simon Hodgson's yard at Dogmersfield sending out eight winners this season, Rory's Royale appears to be the horse that has not quite made the cut yet.

The horse typically races at lower levels—Class 5 races—and has contested five of these without success. Alistair Rawlinson, who rides Rory's Royale more than any other jockey, has also drawn a blank across their five races together, each of them a search for that elusive maiden win. At this point, with nine races gone and no victories to show, the clock is ticking for Rory's Royale to find a way through. The horse remains active and racing frequently, which suggests the team still believes a win is coming, but time is becoming the enemy.