The recent form makes for interesting reading. A run of 2-4-7-5-2-10 over the last six races shows a horse that can be competitive — two runner-up finishes in that stretch — but one that also has some inconsistency to iron out. The seventh and tenth-place efforts suggest there are days when things don't click, which is the puzzle Micky Hammond's team at Middleham will be trying to solve.
Hammond is one of the more respected yards in the north of England, and with 31 winners sent out already this season, he clearly knows how to get horses winning. Token Love, then, is one of the ones still waiting for things to fall into place. Jockey Aiden Brookes has partnered the horse five times without a win between them, though the combination hasn't been disgraced — breaking through together would be a satisfying moment for both.
At Class 5, Token Love is competing at the entry level of British racing — these are races designed specifically for horses that haven't yet shown they belong higher up the ladder. Four races at that level have produced nothing yet, which means the yard faces a bit of a question: keep trying at this level, or look at different conditions. Token Love raced just yesterday, so the yard are clearly keeping this horse busy and believing something is around the corner.
Whether that win comes soon is the open question. The placed efforts are encouraging — a horse that finishes second twice in its last six races isn't a lost cause, it's a horse on the edge. Sometimes it just takes one race where everything goes right.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 30 Dec | 0% |
| Nottingham Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 17 Jul | 0% |
| Redcar Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 4 Oct | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 4 Jul | 0% |
| Pontefract Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 29 Apr | 0% |
| Chester Tight |
1 | 1 other | 12 Sep | 0% |