Doonbeg Don

What's telling about Doonbeg Don is how long ago that single victory was. Nearly two years have passed since his Galway success, and while he's remained active enough to race in the last week, his recent form shows the scatter of a horse trying hard without quite getting the job done. His last six runs read: unplaced, seventh, second, twelfth, first, third—a pattern that suggests he still has days when he can finish in the top 3, but you're never quite sure which runs those will be. Even with Rachael Blackmore, one of Ireland's leading jockeys, in the saddle five times, they've never managed to combine for a win together.

For Murphy's yard, which has sent out only two winners all season, Doonbeg Don remains a useful contributor. He's the kind of eight-year-old that owners keep racing partly in hope of another breakthrough, and partly because he's proven capable of earning prize money. At this stage of his career, every top-3 finish matters, and wins are rare enough that when they do come along, they feel like genuine celebrations.