Shannon Bank

The recent form tells an interesting story. Reading right to left — so oldest to newest — Shannon Bank ran fifth, then second, then had a couple of runs that didn't yield a placing, then won, and most recently finished seventh. A win rate of around 1 in every 17 races is modest, but five places from those 17 outings show a horse that has been competitive without quite being able to seal the deal. The second place sandwiched in that recent run of form suggests Shannon Bank was building toward something — and Listowel turned out to be the payoff.

The trainer is Andrew Kinirons, based in Newbridge, Co Kildare, and the yard has sent out six winners already this season, so there is clearly a capable operation behind this horse. Shannon Bank raced just yesterday, which means the team is keeping this horse busy and looking to build on that confidence-boosting victory at Listowel. Whether the horse can turn that single win into a proper purple patch at seven years of age is the interesting question — older horses can sometimes find a level that suits them and rattle off a few wins in a row once they get their eye in. Shannon Bank has the places on the board to suggest the ability is there. The question now is whether Listowel was a turning point or just a pleasant one-off.