Steal The Moves

The recent form makes for mixed reading. A second-place finish is in there, which at least shows the horse can get competitive, but so are a seventh and a dash through the middle of the sequence — races where it seemingly went missing altogether. Its regular partner James Best has been aboard for five of those nine outings and is still waiting for his first win on the horse, a combination that has yet to click despite plenty of opportunities together.

Steal The Moves typically lines up in Class 5 races — the entry-level tier of British racing, where the competition is modest by design. Five races at that level, zero wins. That is a concerning stat, because Class 5 is precisely where a horse of this profile ought to be picking up victories if it is going to win anything at all. Its trainer Emma-Jane Bishop, based at Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire, has managed two winners from her yard this season, so the operation is capable of producing results — just not yet with this particular horse.

After a short break of 37 days, Steal The Moves returns to the track with something to prove. Horses occasionally benefit from a freshener — a chance to reset and come back sharper — and the yard will be hoping that applies here. At six, time is not exactly running out, but the window for a first win is not unlimited either. Whether the horse finally delivers or continues to frustrate, that is the question its next run will go some way to answering.