Pallatine Hills

The most recent form figures read 6-12-5-5-3-8, and there are a few crumbs of encouragement buried in there. That third-place finish hints that Pallatine Hills can at least get close to the action on its day, even if converting that into a win has so far proved a step too far. Jockey Chris Hayes has given it five of those chances and found the same wall every time — zero wins from five rides together. That kind of partnership without reward is unusual, though it speaks more to the horse's limitations than any lack of effort in the saddle.

What makes the situation slightly more interesting is that the Harty yard is clearly capable — 17 winners on the board already this season shows this is a operation that knows how to get horses winning. Pallatine Hills simply hasn't been one of them yet. The horse raced just yesterday, so the yard are clearly committed to finding the right opportunity, and at four years old there is at least still time for things to click. Whether they do remains the open question for a horse whose career, so far, is more about potential than proof.