Appy Getaway

At five years old, Appy Getaway is not a youngster finding its feet — this is a horse that has been given time to develop before being asked to perform in public, and when the moment came, it delivered. That patience from the team at Peter Fahey's yard in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, suggests they had a reason to wait and believed in what they had. Fahey's operation has been in good form this season, with 12 winners already sent out, so this is not a yard that runs horses for the experience — they run them when they think they can win.

The one complication is the gap. Appy Getaway has not raced in roughly seven months since that Kilbeggan win, which is a significant break. Whether that is down to a minor setback, a deliberate plan, or simply waiting for the right opportunity, only the yard knows. What it does mean is that this horse returns to the track as something of an unknown quantity — we know it can win on debut, but we do not yet know how it handles a second run, different conditions, or stronger competition. That first race told us something; the next one will tell us a great deal more.