Walkin Out

The recent form tells an interesting story. In its last six races, Walkin Out has finished 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd — reading that list back, you realise this horse has not finished outside the top three in half a year, and yet has not won either. It is the definition of a horse that keeps knocking on the door without ever quite opening it. For a punter, that kind of form is both encouraging and maddening in equal measure.

Regular rider Miss Anna Johnston has partnered Walkin Out five times without a win between them. That is not necessarily a criticism of either horse or rider — the form across those five runs almost certainly includes plenty of those close placings — but it is a fact worth noting. The pair have yet to find that combination that turns a placing into a victory.

At Class 4, the level at which Walkin Out most often competes, it has gone 0 from 4 — meaning even at this accessible level, it has not added to that 2023 success. With a career win rate of roughly 1 in every 9 races, and still racing at nine years of age, Walkin Out looks like a horse that earns its keep through sheer reliability rather than headline results. It rarely embarrasses itself, it almost always hits the frame, and it raced just yesterday — so whatever else you say about it, this is a horse that keeps turning up.