Sharma d'Amour

The horse's recent form reads like a slow fade. In the last six outings, there is little pattern to grab hold of—a ninth place, then a second place, then mid-field finishes scattered across fifth, eighth, and seventh. Last time out, just a day ago, came another fifth. With regular partner George Bass in the saddle, the partnership has mustered a single win from seven rides together, giving Bass a fourteen percent win rate aboard this horse—marginally better than the overall record, but not by much. Trainer Denis Coakley, based at West Ilsley in Berkshire, has had a respectable season with ten winners sent out from the yard, though Sharma d'Amour has not been one of them this campaign.

When stepped up to the fancier Class 5 grade—the kind of race where better horses compete—Sharma d'Amour has found the going impossible, unable to win in five attempts at that level. It remains a horse most likely to find itself in lower company, chasing smaller prizes and hoping for another rare day like Lingfield last spring. For now, that remains a memory.