Steps In Time

Competing mainly at Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter level of British racing, Steps In Time has gone six races at that level without a win. That's not a disaster — plenty of horses find their level and eventually click — but it does suggest that finding the right race at the right moment is the key challenge for the team right now. The recent form figures tell a mixed story: a fifth place and a sixth in the last six runs, with a few blank outings in between. Nothing alarming, but nothing to set the pulse racing either.

What keeps this profile interesting is the context around the horse. Philip Kirby, the trainer based at East Appleton in North Yorkshire, has had a productive season — 36 winners sent out is a healthy return and speaks to a yard that knows how to get horses ready to perform. Kirby is a trainer who works quietly and effectively, and horses from his operation tend to be well-prepared even when the results aren't immediately there. Steps In Time raced just one day ago, so it is right in the middle of an active campaign, and that level of race fitness can sometimes be the difference-maker.

The honest summary is that Steps In Time is a horse still searching for its moment. Four places from twelve races means it has shown enough ability to suggest a win is not beyond it, but the clock is ticking on finding the right opportunity. With a trainer who clearly knows how to get winners on the board, the best hope is that Kirby identifies a race where the conditions and the competition align just right — and that Steps In Time finally gets its reward for all that persistent placing.