Jay Pee M

The partnership with jockey John Shinnick is worth noting. In seven races together, they've won twice — that's winning 2 in every 7 rides, or just under 29%. For context, that's nearly three times better than the horse's overall win rate, which suggests Shinnick has a real feel for what Jay Pee M needs. When those two are in the same race, things tend to happen.

Trainer Terence O'Brien operates out of Carrigtoohill in County Cork, and the yard has been in decent form this season with 10 winners on the board. That's a stable ticking along well, and Jay Pee M's two wins this year — Cork in January and Navan in March — arrived during what has been a productive stretch for the team.

The concern right now is the recent run of form. Jay Pee M has gone six races without a win, and the latest finishing positions — a 17th, a 6th, and a 3rd going back — paint a picture of a horse that has struggled to recapture its best. The third place is a glimmer, but it was followed by two runs that will have left the yard disappointed. The horse raced just one day ago, so it is clearly being kept busy, and O'Brien hasn't given up on finding another winning opportunity.

At seven, Jay Pee M is in the prime years of a racing career. It has already shown it can win at a decent level, and the yard around it is in good health. Whether it can rediscover the form that brought those wins earlier in the year is the question worth watching. The next run, whenever it comes, will tell us something.