Panhandle is a two-year-old still searching for a breakthrough after three races without a win or a placed finish. The horse has raced three times, most recently just a day ago, when it finished eighth. Before that came a fourteenth-place finish, suggesting the form has dipped slightly in recent outings. With
Gavin Cromwell's yard at Navan having sent out 96 winners already this season, there is clearly plenty of strength in the stable, but Panhandle has not yet found its feet at the racecourse. At this early stage of a young horse's career, three races without success is not unusual — many take time to develop — though the recent downward trend in placings will need to reverse if the horse is to justify the investment made in its training.