Sony Bill

That said, there is one detail worth holding onto: Sony Bill raced just yesterday, which means the team clearly believe there is something worth persevering with. Horses that keep getting entries are horses whose trainer thinks they still have a chance to figure things out.

And the trainer in question is no ordinary one. W P Mullins, based in Muine Bheag in County Carlow, is one of the most formidable names in the sport. His yard has sent out 229 winners already this season alone — that is a staggering number, roughly translating to more than four winners every single week. When a trainer of that calibre keeps putting a horse into races, it is at least worth paying attention, even if the scoreboard has not been kind to Sony Bill so far. The question is whether that first win is still to come, or whether it will remain just out of reach.