Four Blondes

Her recent form has been a study in near misses. In her last six races, she has finished third, tenth, ninth, sixth, fifth, and twentieth — which means she was close enough in three of those six to threaten but never quite found her way home. The trainer, Ross O'Sullivan, based at Kilcullen in Kildare, has identified the problem in practical terms: she runs too fast too early, burning energy when she should be conserving it, and the move has cost her dearly. She points to a race at Gowran where she was almost caught on the line — not quite there at the end because she had used too much petrol up front.

O'Sullivan believes a fillies' race over seven furlongs at Fairyhouse should suit her, the same course where she won before. She performs best at that distance — seven furlongs to a mile — where she has won one race from 13 attempts (8 per cent). Her most regular partner is jockey Shane Foley, who has ridden her in six races, winning one (17 per cent), and he may yet be the key to getting her to settle better in a race. The trainer has noted that while she has a tendency to be headstrong and carries an unusual carriage, she remains a horse with potential for improvement if she can learn to be ridden with a bit more patience.