Tommys Law

The pattern of recent form tells the tale most clearly. Over the last six races, Tommys Law has finished second four times and third twice, never worse than third place. That kind of relentless near-miss — running on the fringes of the winner's enclosure week after week — suggests a horse that knows how to be competitive but consistently finds one or two stronger rivals on the day. Derek Fox, the horse's regular jockey, has ridden it six times without a win themselves, which points to the difficulty rather than any failing on the saddle.

Based at the yard of Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore near Perth in Scotland, Tommys Law competes mostly in Class 4 races, the bread-and-butter level where many solid racehorses spend their careers. The yard itself is in good form this season with 49 winners, so the horse is not languishing in a struggling operation — which makes its inability to get across the line all the more intriguing. Somehow, despite doing nearly everything right, Tommys Law remains a horse that breaks the hearts of its supporters race after race. At this level, and at this stage of life, one genuine victory might change the entire complexion of its campaign.