Tennesse Boy

His recent form makes for interesting reading. That "2" in his last six runs — meaning a second-place finish — shows he can mix it at the business end of a race, and the "1" alongside it suggests at least one more occasion where he was right in the mix. But the gaps in his record (those dashes indicating absences) and the single-figure finishes elsewhere paint a picture of a horse whose best days are becoming harder to find consistently.

His regular partner Phillip Enright has been in the saddle for eight of his eleven races — that's a proper working relationship — but the pair have yet to find the winner's enclosure together. Eight races, zero wins is a tough ledger, though it does suggest the team keep faith in the combination and believe the right opportunity could still come.

Robert Tyner trains him out of Kinsale in County Cork, and the yard has been in decent form this season, sending out 15 winners. That matters, because it tells you this isn't a struggling operation — Tyner clearly knows how to get horses to win. The fact that Tennesse Boy remains winless isn't down to a lack of care or attention; he simply hasn't found his moment yet. At seven, time is not entirely on his side, but horses can surprise you, and with a placed finish as recent as his last few outings, he hasn't given up trying. He raced just yesterday, which at least confirms he's fit and active — the search for win number one continues.