Sallap

The horse has genuinely caught fire over the past few weeks. In its last six races, Sallap has finished first or second five times — a run of form that suggests something has clicked. Most notably, it won at Limerick just seven weeks ago, and two of its three career wins have come at Clonmel, where it runs with genuine authority: 2 wins from only 3 races there makes it a proper course specialist. That kind of record at a single track often means the horse handles the ground or layout unusually well, and it is the sort of detail that matters when the horse enters a race there again.

Trained by S Curling at Cashel in Tipperary, Sallap races for a yard that has already sent out 14 winners this season, suggesting a stable operation. The horse is currently active — it raced just yesterday — so it is clearly a regular in the ring. One small note: regular jockey Phillip Enright has yet to find the winner's circle aboard Sallap after 7 rides together, despite the horse's recent hot streak. That disconnect is worth watching.