Lisleigh Lad

Eleanor Broderick's yard at Fermoy has not exactly been flooding the winner's enclosure this season, having sent out just one winner so far, so Lisleigh Lad's contributions matter. His last victory came at Wexford on 3 July, seven weeks back now, and since then his form has been patchy. In his last six runs he has managed one fourth place and a couple of thirds, but also a ninth and an eleventh — the sort of streaky recent form that suggests he is still capable but perhaps not always firing. That he raced just a day ago shows he remains actively campaigned, still worth entering for races despite his modest returns.

What keeps a horse like this in the game is the occasional win and the places that come regularly enough to justify another run. At eight years old, Lisleigh Lad is no youngster chasing a breakthrough; he is a veteran of the jumping game who knows what is expected and usually gets somewhere close. Whether he is building toward another win or simply grinding through his later racing years remains to be seen, but the yard clearly believe there is enough left in the tank to keep saddling him up.