Metamorphic

What gives this story some real interest is who she is on paper. Metamorphic is a daughter of Frankel, arguably the greatest racehorse of the modern era, and her trainer Jessica Harrington — one of Ireland's most respected handlers, operating out of Moone in County Kildare — believes she is only now starting to show what she's capable of. Harrington's yard has sent out 53 winners already this season, so when she speaks about a horse coming good, there's weight behind the words. The trainer has flagged a race at Limerick as a likely next target, and notes that Metamorphic stays well — meaning she handles longer distances, which can be a real asset once a horse finds its level.

Her regular partner in the saddle is Shane Foley, who has ridden her five times without getting his nose in front, though that's less a reflection on either of them and more on where the horse has been in her development. The pair have clearly been building a partnership through the process, and if Harrington's instinct is right — that this horse is genuinely coming into her own — then Foley could be the man aboard when it finally clicks. Sometimes a horse just needs time, and a trainer who believes in her.