Nelson Muntz

His comfort zone is clearly at longer distances, two miles and beyond, where he has won 1 from 16 races. That 6% win rate over the longer trips sounds modest, but it tells you something useful: strip him back to a shorter distance and he is even less likely to trouble the judge. He is a stayer, and his best days come when races are run at a true, searching gallop that tests stamina rather than speed.

His recent form reads 6-2-5-13-11-3 over his last six outings, which is a mixed picture. There are signs of life — a second-place finish and a third — sandwiched around some races where he dropped well out of contention. He has not won since that Kilbeggan success ten months ago, and the team at David Harry Kelly's yard in Rathvin, Co Tipperary, will be working to find the right opportunity to add to his tally. Kelly has sent out 13 winners this season, so there is clearly form in the yard, and Nelson Muntz raced as recently as yesterday, meaning he is bang in the middle of an active campaign.

The honest summary is this: he is a horse that runs with consistency without quite turning it into victories. One win from 26 races is a tough return, but nine places across that span means he has been earning his keep and giving the yard something to work with. For a horse at this level, staying competitive and healthy at seven is worthwhile in itself — and that Kilbeggan win, however long ago it came, proves he can find the line first when everything falls right.