Tradonthebay

The five-year-old's recent form makes for interesting reading. After a couple of disappointing eighth-place finishes, Tradonthebay has clearly found something, posting a third, then a fourth, then a second in more recent races — a trajectory that suggests the horse is building rather than fading. Racing just one day ago, it is very much a horse in motion right now.

The trainer behind it is Paul John Gilligan, operating out of Athenry in County Galway. It is a modest yard by the numbers — five winners on the board this season — but small operations like this often know their horses intimately, and there is something to be said for a trainer who keeps a winless horse racing consistently and visibly improving. The question now is whether Tradonthebay can take that next step and turn a place finish into a victory. The recent upward curve says it is closer than it has ever been.