Maw Can

That said, read those numbers right to left and there's something mildly encouraging. Maw Can came home third on debut, then sixth, then seventh — respectable enough for a young horse learning the job. The concern is that the two most recent runs both ended in fourteenth place, which suggests momentum has gone in the wrong direction rather than building toward a first win. At three years old there is still time to turn things around, but those back-to-back fourteenth-place finishes are hard to ignore.

The horse is trained by John S O'Donoghue at the Curragh in Co Kildare, one of the heartlands of Irish racing. The yard has sent out seven winners this season, so there is form in the camp — Maw Can just hasn't been part of it yet. With a race as recently as yesterday, the yard are clearly keeping the horse busy and looking for the right opportunity. Whether that opportunity arrives soon is the question.