Neo Smart

What makes Neo Smart marginally interesting is the distance at which it performs least badly. Over seven furlongs to a mile—a middle-distance trip—the horse has won 2 of its 14 races, a win rate of roughly 1 in 7. That is still not good, but it is twice as effective as the overall record suggests. Trainer J S Bolger, based in County Carlow, knows the horse well and continues to run it regularly, which at least suggests belief remains in the yard. Jockey Rory Cleary has partnered Neo Smart 12 times, winning once, and was in the saddle as recently as a day ago when the horse ran and finished sixth.

The recent form tells the story of a horse struggling to find the winner's enclosure. The last six runs have yielded nothing better than a fourth-place finish. Neo Smart is still racing and still being given chances, but the hard truth is that this is a horse which, for whatever reason, very rarely gets to the front and stays there. It earns its keep as a consistent midfield finisher—seven placings from 38 races shows it is no complete dud—but it is not a horse that excites. It is simply there, grinding away at modest level, waiting for a day that may never come.