Wrob And Wryan

The recent form makes for difficult reading. In its last six races, the best it has managed is a pair of fifth-place finishes, with an eleventh and a tenth sandwiched in between. That kind of trajectory — finishing further back rather than creeping closer — is the sort of thing that tests the patience of any yard. Wrob And Wryan raced just yesterday, so whatever happens next will come quickly.

Jockey Robbie Colgan has stuck with the horse through thick and thin, partnering it in nine of those eleven races. Together they are yet to win, which at this stage is less a reflection on Colgan — a capable rider — and more a measure of just how stubborn that first win has been to find. Nine attempts together with nothing to show for it is a long run of near-misses and outright defeats, and it raises the question of whether a change of tactics or a different race might finally unlock something.

For now, Wrob And Wryan remains one of racing's works in progress — a horse that keeps showing up but hasn't yet shown why.