Only A Dollar

Since that breakthrough, Only A Dollar has been chasing that feeling for 27 months without finding it again. The horse has picked up four places to go with that solitary win, which shows it can run into the placings with reasonable regularity, but converting those near-misses into victories has proven elusive. Recent form tells the story of a horse still trying: in the last six races, it has finished ninth, sixth, and fifth, suggesting it remains competitive at the level it races at, even if the wins have dried up. Only A Dollar raced just a day ago, so it is still an active part of Sean Aherne's yard at Conna in Cork, where the trainer continues to seek that second career win.

The partnership with regular jockey Sean O'Keeffe has produced that sole victory, though they have raced together 13 times without repeating the success. It is the kind of record that speaks to a horse giving its best but operating at a level where margins are tight and luck plays its part. At eight years old, Only A Dollar has earned its place in racing through sheer longevity and willingness rather than brilliance, but in a sport where every winner counts, that one victory at Clonmel remains a genuine achievement.