Shaool

Trainer J. P. Murtagh, running a prolific yard at Coolaghknock Glebe in County Kildare with 53 winners already this season, has identified one clear strength: Shaool thrives at middle distances of around one and a quarter to one and a half miles, having won 1 of its 3 races at that trip — a 33 per cent win rate that stands in sharp contrast to its overall record. When Shaool finds the right distance, it performs noticeably better. Ben Coen, who has ridden the horse nine times, holds a 22 per cent win rate aboard, winning twice, which suggests a real working partnership. Shaool was active just a day ago, so it remains in training and racing, but the long absence from the winner's circle and recent pattern of mid-field finishes suggest it is marking time rather than progressing. For a horse now five years old and a year without victory, a return to those middle-distance trips where it has shown its best form might be the key to unlocking another win.