Crackles

The recent form makes for difficult reading. Looking at the last six runs, the finishing positions read 9, 6, 16, 7, 11, and 13 — the most recent being a 13th place finish just yesterday, which means Crackles is still actively racing and still searching for that elusive first breakthrough. A 16th place finish in there suggests at least one truly rough day at the office, and nothing in the sequence hints at a horse that is quietly creeping toward a win.

That said, the yard sending Crackles out race after race tells its own story. Trainer E McNamara, based in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, has had a productive season — 22 winners so far — so this is clearly not a yard short of ability or ambition. Whether Crackles simply needs more time, a different kind of race, or a bit of luck is hard to say, but the team evidently believes there is something worth persevering with. For now, though, the scorecard reads seven attempts and still waiting.