Hickeys Hill

The recent form figures of 9-5-1-12-7-10 are a mixed picture. That "1" in the middle represents the Fairyhouse win, sandwiched between some disappointing efforts, and the runs either side of it suggest Hickeys Hill can be frustratingly inconsistent. A ninth and a twelfth in recent outings are not the numbers of a horse in red-hot form, but the fact that the yard sent it out again just yesterday shows the team at Athboy still believe there is another good day in the tank.

That yard, run by Andrew McNamara in Co. Meath, has been in decent nick this season with 7 winners sent out — a solid return that suggests McNamara knows how to place a horse when the opportunity is right. Whether Hickeys Hill can find the kind of conditions and race that suits well enough to add to that tally remains to be seen, but at seven years old, the window for improvement is not wide open. For now, this is a horse whose followers will be hoping the Fairyhouse win was a sign of things to come rather than a rare peak.