Kingstonian

The frustrating part for the yard is what has happened since. Kingstonian has not won in twelve months, despite being raced regularly. In its last six runs, it has placed three times — finishing second, third, and third again — but the wins just have not come. Most recently it was beaten at some point in the last fortnight, suggesting the form is not quite there anymore. Shane Foley, who rides the horse most often, has yet to steer it to victory across five attempts together, which hints at a deeper issue: Kingstonian may simply be a horse that runs for a place rather than a prize.

Trained by Joseph Patrick O'Brien at Owning Hill in County Kilkenny — a yard that has already saddled 160 winners this season — Kingstonian has all the support it needs. The problem is not the team around it but the horse itself. It is consistent enough to pay its way and to get into the frame regularly, but winning races appears to be beyond it. At four years old and with only one victory to its name, it is unlikely to develop dramatically now. That single success at Tramore remains the high point of its career, and everything since has been a slow decline from that moment.