Volendam

The win came with Jack Doughty in the saddle, and the pair have a useful understanding: Doughty has ridden Volendam five times and won on him once, a 20% win rate that is well above what the horse's overall record would predict. That matters. It hints that the right jockey, the right day, and the right race can still find something extra from a horse that most people would dismiss as a perennial also-ran.

Since April, Volendam has not won again in six attempts, though she picked up a second and two thirds along the way. Her recent run — finishing ninth just a day ago — suggests she is still searching for another moment like Bath. E D Delany's yard in Laytown, Co Meath has sent out five winners this season, so Volendam is part of a functioning operation, even if he is not one of its stars. The horse races best at distances between 1 mile 1 furlong and 1 mile 2 furlongs, though even at her preferred distance she has won just once from 12 races. Volendam is the kind of horse that keeps racing, keeps trying, and occasionally reminds you why her the yard still bother to saddle her up.