Rideau Canal

The horse's one victory came at Thurles on 19 February, a moment that stands out as an island in what has otherwise been a long stretch of racing without success. That win came six months ago, and since then Rideau Canal has gone winless through its last six races, with nothing better than a fifth-place finish in its most recent outing just yesterday. The pattern is clear: this is a horse that shows up consistently but rarely threatens to win. Raced regularly by jockey Darragh O'Keeffe—five times together so far—they have yet to combine for a victory, which is par for the course given the horse's overall struggles.

Mrs Denise Foster trains Rideau Canal from her yard at Longwood in County Meath. Foster's operation has produced four winners this season, so there is competence in the stable, but Rideau Canal appears to be one of those horses that rarely carries its trainer's colours to the winner's circle. At 11 years old and still racing actively, it remains a familiar sight on the track—reliable rather than exciting, and a horse that has simply never quite had what it takes to break through often enough to make a name for itself.