The Cutest

Derek Shaw trains out of Sproxton in Leicestershire, and the yard is not without form this season — seven winners on the board shows the team knows how to get a horse ready to win. The Cutest, however, has not been able to add to that tally. It has run six times at Class 5, which is the entry level of British racing, and has drawn a blank on every occasion. Winning even at this level is proving elusive.

The one saving grace on the record is that single placed finish — proof that The Cutest has been competitive at least once. But one near-miss from 12 races is a thin return, and the recent string of mid-to-back-of-the-field finishes suggests things may be moving in the wrong direction rather than toward a breakthrough. It raced just six days ago and remains in active training, so the yard — the team — clearly have not given up. Whether patience eventually pays off is the question this horse's next few runs will need to answer.