Born Believing

For a 5-year-old, this is the time when horses should ideally be establishing themselves. The single win is promising enough — it proves Born Believing can get the job done — but six months between victories is a long drought. The recent form of third-fifth-fifth-third tells the story of a horse that is trying hard but not quite making the decisive move when it matters. Whether that's down to the horse itself, the conditions it's been running in, or simply bad luck in close races is hard to say from the numbers alone. What's clear is that Claire O'Connell's yard is active and competitive this season with four winners under its belt, so the trainer clearly knows how to get horses ready. Born Believing remains capable of winning again — but with races so tight and consistency elusive, patience may still be required.