Until Dawn

Those two wins do tell you something useful, though. Both came on normal ground, and Until Dawn has won 2 of its 7 races in those conditions — that's nearly 1 in 3, which is a genuinely solid record when the track is riding as it should. Put it on wet or fast ground and the picture is considerably less impressive. Similarly, at the shorter, sharper sprint distances under five furlongs, it has won 1 from 4, suggesting a horse that likes to get things over quickly rather than grind it out.

Tom Eaves has been the regular partner here, and the pair have a decent record together — 2 wins from 8 races is 1 in every 4, which is a meaningful connection in a sport where chemistry between horse and jockey genuinely matters. That said, both of those wins now feel a long time ago, and the current losing run stretches across all six of Until Dawn's most recent outings.

One puzzling detail is that Until Dawn has raced most frequently at Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing — and has yet to win a single one of those five races. Both victories came elsewhere. That's a quirk worth noting: the horse has apparently found its wins at the fringes of its usual routine rather than in the races it enters most often. Trainer Alan Brown, based at Yedingham in North Yorkshire, has had nine winners on the board this season, so the yard is in decent working order. Until Dawn raced just yesterday, which means the yard will be watching the next entry with interest — and perhaps hoping that normal ground and a sprint trip can coax one more big effort out of a horse that has gone quiet for too long.