Valsharah

The recent form actually reads better than the overall record might suggest. Valsharah has finished second, second, fourth, and fourth in four of its last six races — that is a horse running consistently well, not one that is struggling. The blip of an eleventh-place finish a couple of runs back is the only real eyesore, and even that came sandwiched between solid efforts. Racing just yesterday, this is a horse in the thick of its season right now.

Jockey Jason Watson has had the ride more than anyone else, partnering Valsharah in 11 of those 27 races without managing to land a win. That is a long collaboration to still be searching for a first victory together, though again, it is worth noting that Watson has been aboard for plenty of those placed efforts. The partnership clearly works well enough to keep being repeated — it just needs one more thing to click.

The level Valsharah competes at is Class 5, which sits near the lower end of British racing's rankings. Nine races at that level and still no win is the kind of statistic that raises an eyebrow, because Class 5 is precisely where horses like this are expected to eventually break through. Michael Appleby has sent out 71 winners from his yard this season alone, so he clearly knows how to get a horse to the front — the fact that Valsharah has not been one of them yet makes it one of the more intriguing unsolved puzzles in his string. With the form holding up and the horse clearly in good enough shape to race yesterday, a first win feels closer than the bare record suggests.