Lohengrin

His recent form tells the story of a horse who is trying but struggling. His last six races have yielded an 11th, a 2nd, a 3rd, a 7th, a 13th, and a 10th, and he raced just a day ago, meaning he is still actively campaigned. Most of his races come in Class 5 company — the lower rungs of the sport — yet even there he has drawn a blank, with no wins from his three attempts at that level. He is ridden most often by Colin Keane, but the partnership has not produced a win; Keane has ridden him nine times for nine places but no victories.

Lohengrin runs for trainer E D Delany at Laytown in County Meath, a modest yard that has sent out five winners this season. For a horse with only one win to his name across 36 races, Lohengrin represents the long tail of racing — the kind of horse who will never be a star but keeps showing up, picking up cheques for second and third place, and occasionally threatening a win without quite delivering. His the yard clearly believe there is something left to find; otherwise, they would not be running him. But 13 months without a victory, and three starts at Class 5 without a win, suggest he is running out of opportunities to prove them right.