Monmouth

What makes the story more complicated is who has the horse in their care. Aidan P O'Brien's yard in Cashel, Co Tipperary is one of the most powerful operations in racing anywhere in the world, and 145 winners in a single season is not a number that happens by accident — that is a conveyor belt of talent, preparation, and horsepower that very few trainers on earth can match. When a horse comes out of that stable, you take notice, even when the early results are modest.

Monmouth raced just yesterday and is clearly being kept busy, which suggests the team believes there is something worth developing here. Horses trained at this level are rarely run without purpose. The wins have not arrived yet, but with a trainer sending out winners at that volume, the patience and the tools to turn things around are certainly there.