Al Haarith

His sole victory came at Limerick on 11 July, just over four weeks ago, and that fresh memory of winning is often the making of a young horse. Since then, though, his form has been patchy. His last six races show an eighth-place finish followed by a win, then 11th, 3rd, 4th, and most recently a 3rd place—the kind of up-and-down pattern typical of a horse still working out what he is good at. What stands out is that most recent third-place finish came just yesterday, which means Al Haarith is racing hard and regularly, a sign his trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien, who runs a yard at Owning Hill in Kilkenny sending out 160 winners this season, sees enough in him to keep him competitive. At three years old, finding his best distance is half the battle, and if Al Haarith can string together races at a mile and a quarter or thereabouts, his record at those trips suggests better things are coming.