Eclipse Chaser

The horse's recent form tells a story of inconsistency. In his last six races he has finished eighth, then seventh, then third, with two unplaced efforts either side. That third-place finish represents his best effort in recent months, but it underlines how far removed he is from the winning form that saw him land his sole victory nearly a year and a half ago. His trainer, C W J Farrell, based at Bunclody in County Wexford, has indicated that Eclipse Chaser may need easier ground and less ambitious targets to show his best. After a Grade 3 race at Navan, the yard decided to recalibrate expectations — a tacit acknowledgment that this horse might be better suited to lower-level company than the heights he was being asked to scale.

What is perhaps most telling is Eclipse Chaser's record with Paul Townend, the jockey who has ridden him most often. In five races together, they have won once — a win rate of one in five, notably higher than his overall figures. That 20% return suggests the horse and rider have found a spark together, and it may be in those combinations, and on ground that suits him, that Eclipse Chaser has his best chance of another win. At the moment, though, he remains a horse searching for consistency and waiting for his moment to return to the winner's enclosure.