Will It Be You

That sole victory at Ballinrobe remains the high point of a career that has otherwise been defined by near-misses and placed efforts rather than wins. Two places from 19 races suggests the horse is competitive enough to be in the mix, but converting that into a win has proven elusive. Since that Ballinrobe success, Will It Be You has gone six races without troubling the judge again, with recent finishes of 10th, 8th, 16th, 10th, and a couple of non-completions mixed in — not the form of a horse that looks likely to add to its tally in the immediate future.

Regular partner Richard Deegan has been aboard for 13 of those 19 races, winning just the once together — roughly 1 in every 13 rides. That's a modest return, though given the horse's overall record it's hard to lay the blame at the jockey's door. Trainer Liam P Cusack, who operates out of Mountrath in County Laois, has sent out 3 winners this season, so the yard is ticking over — Will It Be You just hasn't been the one to contribute to that tally.

At 9 years old and racing as recently as yesterday, this is clearly a horse that the yard keep faith with and that remains willing to turn up and do the job. Whether the question in the name ever gets answered with another winner remains to be seen — but given it took 18 attempts to get the first one, nobody should be holding their breath.