Aughlish

The recent form chart tells the story of a horse that can find a place but struggles to seal the deal. In its last six races, Aughlish has finished second, fifth, missed the top three, seventh, twelfth, and tenth. That second-place effort from yesterday is the bright spot in an otherwise difficult stretch. Over its entire eight-race career, the horse has won zero times and finished in the top three only three times, which works out to roughly one top-three finish for every 2.5 races contested.

Claire O'Connell trains Aughlish from her yard near Ashbourne in County Meath. The trainer has managed four winners this season from her string, so the yard is capable of producing successful horses — Aughlish has simply not been one of them yet. At three years old, the horse still has time to develop, but a run yesterday suggests the team is working hard to find the right opportunity and conditions that might finally unlock a maiden win.