Thru And Thru

That recent form tells an interesting story. Back-to-back second-place finishes give way to a 12th, then another second, then a 16th, and most recently a sixth — it is a frustratingly inconsistent pattern. The seconds are encouraging; they say this horse can compete. But the double-digit finishes in between suggest it does not always bring its best to the track, which is the kind of unpredictability that keeps trainers and racing fans guessing in equal measure.

Rory Anthony Devine trains Thru And Thru out of Bagnalstown in County Carlow, a small yard that has sent out just one winner so far this season. That context matters — this is not a powerhouse operation with horses firing in from every direction, and a first win for Thru And Thru would be a genuinely meaningful moment for the team. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is clearly being kept busy, and the fact it is still running regularly at four years old suggests the yard believes there is a race to be won somewhere.

Whether that win comes is the open question. Three places from seven races says the talent exists. The trick now is finding the right conditions on the right day — and for a horse that has finished second three times without converting, the breakthrough, if it comes, will have been a long time coming.