Take The A Train

Most of Take The A Train's racing has come at Class 6, the entry-level tier of British racing, and even there the horse has drawn a blank — no wins from four races at that level. That matters because Class 6 represents the races where horses who are still finding their feet, or who have a ceiling on their ability, tend to compete. Going winless at this level over a sustained period is a signal that a breakthrough, when it does come, may require everything to fall perfectly into place.

The recent form makes for difficult reading too. Looking at the last six races, the finishing positions read 10th, 2nd, 9th, 13th, 10th, and 6th — a sequence with one eye-catching second place sandwiched between a run of double-digit finishes. That placed effort shows there is at least some ability there, but the horse has not been able to reproduce it. The most recent run came just yesterday, so the yard — sorry, the team — are keeping the horse active and clearly haven't given up.

Gary Harrison trains out of Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire, a small yard that has managed one winner so far this season. That context is worth keeping in mind: this is not a powerhouse operation with strings of winners. When horses from smaller yards do break through, it tends to mean a great deal more to everyone involved. For Take The A Train, that first win is still out there somewhere — it just hasn't arrived yet.