Chopsticks

What makes that Sligo win worth noting is where it fits in the bigger picture. Chopsticks races best at longer distances — between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — and has won 1 from 10 races at those trips, a 10% win rate that is comfortably its best return at any distance. That's the version of this horse worth watching: given enough ground, it becomes a genuine contender rather than a nearly-horse.

The most interesting subplot involves Shane Foley, who has ridden Chopsticks nine times without a winner between them. Nine rides, zero wins — that's a long run of near-misses for a partnership that has clearly been given plenty of chances. It was not Foley in the saddle when the breakthrough finally came at Sligo, which adds a quiet layer of interest to whatever comes next.

Trainer John C McConnell operates out of Stamullen in Co Meath, and the yard is clearly in good form right now — 44 winners sent out this season is a healthy tally that speaks to a team getting things right. Chopsticks raced just eight days ago, finishing eighteenth in its most recent start, though the run before that produced a second place, and the win before that a first. The form reads a little up and down, but a horse that was placed second and then won in back-to-back runs earlier in the sequence is one that can clearly find its feet when conditions suit. The story of Chopsticks is not a triumphant one yet — but it is, at last, a story with a first chapter worth reading.