Tomas O Maille

What makes his profile more striking is how long it has been since that single victory. Eighteen months have passed since Ballinrobe, and in that time he has not won again despite recent activity — he raced just days ago, finishing 11th. His last six runs tell the story of a horse still competing but treading water: an 11th, a 10th, a third, an 8th, and a 9th. That third-place finish was his best effort in half a year, which is something, but not much. With regular jockey Ambrose McCurtin, Tomas O Maille has won once in 13 races together — a rate of roughly 1 in 13 outings — which is only marginally better than his overall numbers.

Trained by M Flannery from an undisclosed yard, Tomas O Maille belongs to a small operation that has managed just two winners all season. That context matters: this is not a yard with the resources or firepower to manufacture winners regularly. For a nine-year-old with a solitary victory to his name across two seasons, his best days are likely behind him. He remains active and still competitive enough to place, but the harsh reality is that Tomas O Maille is a peripheral horse — one who will collect a cheque from the odd third or fourth place, but whose chances of another win grow slimmer each time he runs.