Lord Ffrench

What makes his record more telling is the drought that has followed his one success. That win at Sligo now sits 13 months in the past, and he has not crossed the line first in his last six outings. His recent form reads 4-7-6-8-6-7, a sequence that shows he is competitive enough to place occasionally — he has finished in the first three twice in his last six runs — but he is not winning races. For a horse approaching his middle years, that kind of barren spell can be frustrating both for the horse and the yard. He was last out just a day ago, which means he is actively campaigned and still being given chances to break his duck.

Lord Ffrench is trained by S Curling at Cashel in County Tipperary, a yard that has enjoyed a reasonable season with 14 winners to its name. The trainer clearly believes there is more to come from this horse, or he would not still be racing him. Whether Lord Ffrench finds another winning opportunity remains to be seen, but for now he remains a grinder — useful enough to place, just not quite good enough to win.