Mc Swagger

Trained by Eoin Christopher McCarthy out of Athea in County Limerick, Mc Swagger operates out of a yard that has sent out 15 winners this season, which tells you this is not a small operation making up the numbers. McCarthy clearly knows how to get horses to win, and the fact that Mc Swagger hasn't yet suggests the right opportunity simply hasn't come along rather than any lack of ability. A ninth, a third, and a fourth from three races paints the picture of a horse finding its feet — competitive enough to place, but not yet in the perfect spot to break through.

Zero wins from three races sounds blunt, but context matters. The horse has placed once already and hasn't finished out of the first nine in any race. For a five-year-old still finding its level, the trajectory is more interesting than the headline number. The team will be looking for the race where everything clicks.