So Must I

The recent form makes for interesting reading. Working backwards from the most recent run, the sequence reads 4-4-4-then a blank-1-6. Three consecutive fourth-place finishes are the kind of results that look frustrating on paper but actually tell a story of a horse that is consistently in the mix without quite getting over the line. It is not being tailed off or out of its depth — it is knocking on the door. That sole win sits in the middle of this sequence like a reminder of what the horse is capable of when everything clicks.

So Must I runs out of the powerful stable of Joseph Patrick O'Brien at Owning Hill in County Kilkenny. O'Brien's yard has sent out 160 winners this season alone, which puts it firmly among the busiest and most successful operations in Irish racing. When a yard of that size and quality keeps running a horse, it is usually because they see something worth persevering with. The fact that So Must I raced just one day ago tells you this is a horse being kept busy and in the routine of competition, which can suit younger horses still figuring themselves out.

At three years old, So Must I is still a young horse with time to develop. The building blocks are there — a preferred distance identified, a win already on the board, and a world-class team around it. Whether those fourth places eventually become thirds and then wins will be the story to follow.