Cladach

Joseph Patrick O'Brien trains from Owning Hill in County Kilkenny, and his yard has been in excellent form this season, already sending out 160 winners. That kind of firepower across the stable suggests Cladach is getting the best of modern training methods and track intelligence. The question now is whether this run of near-misses—particularly those two second-place finishes and two thirds very recently—will soon turn into a win. Horses that consistently place without winning can be frustrating to watch, but they often indicate a horse that is capable and competitive; it's simply a matter of circumstances aligning just right on the day. At three years old, Cladach still has plenty of racing ahead, and that first win may be closer than the record suggests.