Shimmy Jimmy

His recent form shows flashes of promise but nothing consistent. In his last six races he has finished eighth, second, second, sixth, fourth and first, which is an odd sequence: two runner-up efforts are enough to remind you he can be competitive, yet the eighth-place finish and the gaps in between tell a different story. Over his career he's hit the board in four of his eight races, meaning he places or wins roughly half the time, but that one win in eight races — a 12 percent win rate — suggests the step up in class has caught him out.

He races for Edward Bethell's yard at Middleham in North Yorkshire, a stable that has been prolific this season with 61 winners already sent out. That kind of volume and success suggests Bethell is doing something right, and the fact that Shimmy Jimmy is still active and still racing tells you the yard believes there is more to come. Whether that amounts to another victory or simply solid days in the frame remains to be seen. For now, he is a horse with one shining afternoon nearly three years ago and the kind of mid-range record that keeps trainers and owners hoping the next race might be the one.