Now Maybe

The recent form makes for interesting reading. A second, a third, and another second are sandwiched around a couple of quieter efforts, and the most recent run — a third place at Navan just yesterday — was described by trainer Mrs John Harrington as a lovely race. That's not trainer-speak for "we're happy with a third." It's the kind of run that tells you a horse is figuring things out. Harrington, based at Moone in Co Kildare, is having a productive season with 58 winners already sent out, so she knows what a horse on the right trajectory looks like.

What makes Now Maybe genuinely worth watching is what comes next. Harrington believes the horse will improve as the distances get longer, with a mile and a half likely on the agenda as the season progresses. That's a significant clue. Some horses spend months racing at the wrong distance before the yard realise the penny hasn't dropped because the trip is too short — and when the distance finally suits, everything clicks. If Harrington is right, Now Maybe could be a horse whose win column looks very different by the end of summer.