Felix Somary

The clue lies in distance. When Felix Somary races between five and six and a half furlongs, the record improves dramatically — one win from three attempts, a 33 percent win rate that stands out against the career average of just 12 percent. That Sligo victory came at the sweet spot, and since then the horse has found its way into the placings in those shorter races. Longer trips seem less suitable, and shorter ones have not been tested enough to draw firm conclusions. John S O'Donoghue's Curragh yard, which has sent out seven winners this season, will know this. Ronan Whelan, the horse's regular jockey, has also found most success aboard Felix Somary — winning one from five rides together, a 20 percent rate that suggests they work well as a partnership.

The challenge now is breaking the year-long drought. A 3-year-old can still develop, and the racecourse evidence shows the horse belongs in winning races when conditions and distance align. It was active just a day ago, so the yard are clearly pressing on. Another run at Sligo, or a similar track at similar yardage, could well unlock the second victory that the recent form suggests is waiting to happen.