An Buachaill Rua

The recent form tells a familiar story. In the last six races, An Buachaill Rua has managed one runner-up finish among a handful of mid-pack efforts, and has not won in any of those outings. That places finish is the silver lining — it means the horse has been close enough to smell victory, even if it has not yet managed to claim it.

Trainer Sheila Lewis operates out of Brecon in Powys, a small yard that has sent out 5 winners this season — a respectable return that shows she knows how to get a horse ready to win. The fact that An Buachaill Rua has not been one of those winners despite 6 runs together with regular jockey Sean Houlihan is the puzzle the yard will be keen to solve. Houlihan has partnered the horse in every one of those recent races without a win to show for it, though that places finish at least suggests the combination can produce a solid run on its day.

The horse typically competes in Class 5 races, which are essentially the entry-level tier of the sport — the kind of races designed to give horses a realistic chance of winning rather than facing the very best. Going 0 from 5 at that level without a win is a little frustrating, but three places from 9 races overall means An Buachaill Rua is not being embarrassed, just beaten. With the yard in decent form and the horse active — it raced just yesterday — another opportunity is clearly on the horizon, and sooner or later that places record might just translate into something more.