Sunday Sovereign

The horse runs best at distances between seven furlongs and a mile, and on his preferred ground he has won 1 of 10 races at that trip. Trainer G A Kingston has sent him out mostly in Class 2 races—some of the toughest contests in British and Irish racing—where Sunday Sovereign has managed 0 wins from 11 attempts. His regular rider, jockey Chris Hayes, has drawn a blank too, with no wins from nine races together. When Sunday Sovereign does win, it matters little what the ground is like; trainer Kingston has noted over the years that the horse is genuinely fast when conditions are right, though he does prefer a bit of cut in the ground. There have been setbacks—a gravel injury once cost him a shot at a major sprint—but the reality is that age and a long career without consistent success suggest this old campaigner is now running more for experience and the slim hope of a third win than anything else.