Ballyearl

The Tipperary win is the defining moment of Ballyearl's career so far. Getting off the mark for the first time is significant for any young horse — it proves they can cross the line first under pressure, which not every horse manages to do. The recent form figures, however, make for sobering reading: finishes of tenth and sixth in the two races since that win suggest Ballyearl hasn't yet found a way to build on it.

What keeps this interesting is the yard behind the horse. Henry De Bromhead, training out of Knockeen in County Waterford, has sent out 110 winners already this season — that is the output of an operation running at serious pace, and horses in that environment tend to be placed in races where they have a genuine shot. Ballyearl raced just one day ago, so this is very much a horse in active campaigning mode, not one being nursed along. Whether the team can find the right opportunity to get the best out of Ballyearl again is the question worth watching.