Cloonainra

What makes Cloonainra an interesting case is the step up in class. In the three races it has contested at the top level of British and Irish racing, the horse has yet to get off the mark — 0 from 3. That is not a disgrace; those are the races where the very best horses meet, and simply competing there tells you the McConnell yard thinks well enough of the horse to test it. But it does suggest Cloonainra is perhaps most dangerous when the level drops back slightly, which is where two of its three career wins have come.

Alex Harvey is the rider most associated with the horse, and together they have won 1 of their 5 races — 1 in every 5, or a 20% win rate, which actually mirrors the horse's overall career record almost exactly. The partnership has a decent foundation, even if recent runs together have not produced a result. McConnell's yard is in strong form this season with 38 winners already sent out, so the infrastructure and confidence is there. Cloonainra raced just yesterday, which means the team clearly has the horse ready and willing. Whether a seventh win is just around the corner or still some way off, this is a horse that keeps turning up — and in racing, that counts for more than it might seem.