Lust

The bare numbers tell a familiar story of honest endeavour without consistent reward. Two wins from 27 races — roughly 1 in every 13 or 14 outings — puts Lust firmly in the category of a horse that earns its keep without threatening the top of the sport. Both wins came in a tight window, the first at Gowran Park in October 2021 and the second at Naas in May 2022, and nothing has followed since. Recent form makes for uncomfortable reading: a string of finishes of tenth, fifth, eleventh, and nineteenth, with a third place the only encouraging note across the last six races. That third is a reminder that the ability is still lurking somewhere, but it has not been enough to get over the line.

Regular jockey Sean Bird has been aboard for 13 of those 27 races together and is still waiting for a first win with the horse — a partnership that has built plenty of experience without the payoff either side will be hoping for. Trainer Conor David Maxwell, based at Stamullen in County Meath, has sent out six winners this season from his yard, so the operation clearly knows how to find the right race for the right horse. The puzzle is finding the right race for this one.

Lust raced just yesterday, which means the yard are keeping the horse active and believing there is still something to aim at. At eight, time is not unlimited, but horses have won at this age and beyond. The question is whether the combination of the right conditions, the right race, and perhaps a change of luck can finally end what has become a remarkably long wait for a third career win. For now, Lust is a horse that keeps showing up — and sometimes in this sport, persistence is the most important quality of all.