Ridersinthesky

The recent form makes for interesting reading. Back in the early runs, Ridersinthesky finished third on three consecutive occasions — the kind of reliable, podium-finishing form that suggests a horse finding its feet and running honestly without quite having the gear to go past the leaders. A sixth and then a tenth followed, which on the face of it looks like a step backward, though it is worth remembering that form can dip for all sorts of reasons, from race conditions to the quality of the field on the day.

What arguably matters most here is who is in charge. Mrs John Harrington's yard at Moone in Co Kildare is one of Ireland's most respected operations, and with 51 winners sent out already this season alone, this is not a team that keeps horses in training without believing they have something to offer. A yard firing at that volume tends to know exactly where each horse fits and when to expect improvement. The fact that Ridersinthesky raced just yesterday and remains active suggests the team is not giving up on finding the right opportunity — if anything, they are actively hunting it.

At three years old, there is still plenty of time. Some horses take a handful of races simply to mature and figure out what is being asked of them, and a horse with three places already on its record is clearly not disgracing itself. The question is whether the right race, in the right conditions, with a little more physical development, will finally turn those near-misses into a first win.