Rose Warrior

The good news is that Rose Warrior is still racing and was out just a day ago, which suggests the horse remains sound and capable of competing. Trainer Jennie Candlish's yard at Basford in Staffordshire has been in good form this season, sending out 64 winners, so there is competent horsemanship here. When Rose Warrior does race, it tends to be in the lower levels — Class 6 races — where it has run three times without success. That placement makes sense: the horse simply hasn't shown enough to graduate or to get a win at that grade.

The story of Rose Warrior is really a story of effort without reward. Eleven starts is enough to know a horse's level, and this one, whatever effort goes into it, has never quite had what it takes to reach the winner's enclosure. For a trainer's yard producing winners regularly, Rose Warrior represents the other side of racing — a genuine, sound horse that trains well enough to keep running but hasn't found its moment.