Wholelotofbusiness

The puzzle with Wholelotofbusiness is the long drought. A full year has passed since that win at Killarney, and across the last six races the horse has managed a couple of third-place finishes but nothing better. The most recent outing was just yesterday, a third-place result that continues the pattern. This suggests the horse still has some ability — you don't stay consistent enough to pick up places regularly without it — but winning form has dried up. Whether that's age catching up, bad luck, or simply that the horse has hit a plateau, the record doesn't reveal.

Eoin Christopher McCarthy's yard at Athea in County Limerick has been sending out winners regularly this season, which shows the stable is in decent form. The partnership between Wholelotofbusiness and rider G B Noonan has produced one win from nine races together, a rate of roughly 1 in 9, which is marginally better than the horse's overall record but hardly a dramatic sign of chemistry. For now, Wholelotofbusiness remains a hard-tried, willing sort — the kind of horse that earns its keep through places but leaves its the yard waiting for the next breakthrough win.