Shipshape

The recent form makes for fairly tough reading. Looking at the last six races from most recent backwards — 2nd, 5th, 6th, 4th, 5th, 4th — there is a pattern of finishing in the mid-pack or just outside it, with that one near-miss at the front end of the sequence. Racing at Class 5, which is the entry level of British racing, Shipshape has yet to beat a single rival to the line in five races at that level. At some point a horse needs to convert its chances, and the clock is ticking.

Shipshape raced just one day ago, so it is very much in the thick of an active campaign. It is trained by Bernard Llewellyn, whose small yard is tucked away in Fochriw in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. Llewellyn's team has sent out seven winners this season, which shows the yard is capable of getting horses to win — making Shipshape something of an outlier in that respect. Whether a change of tactics, conditions, or simply a weaker field will be the key to unlocking a first victory remains to be seen. For now, Shipshape is the horse that keeps showing up without quite delivering — and racing is full of them.