Walks The Talk

Her recent form tells the story. Over her last six races she has managed only a couple of places — a second last time out and a third before that — but has otherwise been unable to find the winning thread. It's the kind of record that suggests a horse who remains competitive and rarely gets far away from the action, but seems to struggle when it matters most. Trained by John McConnell at Stamullen in County Meath, Walks The Talk races for a yard that has been prolific this season, sending out thirty-six winners already, yet this particular horse has not contributed to that tally in nearly a year.

Jockey Alex Harvey has had the most regular association with him, riding him five times and winning once — a 20 per cent win rate that marginally better than Walks The Talk's overall numbers, but hardly a partnership that has ignited. At seven years old, the horse is still young enough to turn things around, and the fact that she keeps placing suggests there is still something there. But eleven months is a long time to wait between wins, and for a horse at this stage of her career, the pressure begins to build. He raced just yesterday, so McConnell is keeping him active, hunting for that elusive third victory.