Runninman

The pattern of recent form tells the story of a horse treading water. In its last six runs, Runninman has finished eighth, eleventh, fifth, sixth, twelfth, and fourth — a scatter that suggests inconsistency. That fourth-place finish was the best of them, but even that is a long way from the winner's enclosure. Paul Mulrennan, who rides the horse most often, has piloted it five times without a win, and in the small handful of Class 6 races (the lower tier of competitive racing), Runninman has yet to win from five attempts.

Trainer Donald Whillans, based at Hawick in the Scottish Borders, runs a yard that has been functional this season with nine winners to its name, so the infrastructure is there. Whether Runninman will ever join that tally remains an open question. Some horses take time to mature, others never quite find the right race or conditions. At three years old, there is still room for improvement, but sixteen races is a decent sample size, and the horse's record so far suggests it may be destined for life as a mid-field runner rather than a winner.