Aruntothequeen

The more sobering side of that record is the current run of form. Six races without a win, and recent finishes of 3rd, 16th, 7th, 6th, 2nd, and 6th going back through the season paint a picture of a horse that gets close — that second-place finish is tantalising — but cannot quite get its head in front. The partnership with jockey Donagh Meyler has produced five of those efforts without a single win, which is the kind of statistic that makes you wonder whether a change of rider might unlock something.

What does give genuine cause for optimism is the stable it calls home. Mrs John Harrington's yard at Moone in Co Kildare has sent out 54 winners already this season — that is a serious operation, and horses trained there tend to be placed with care and purpose. A trainer sending out that volume of winners is not running horses without a plan. The fact that Aruntothequeen raced just one day ago also tells you it is fit, active, and in a consistent routine. Sometimes the win is just around the corner; sometimes a horse like this simply finds its level as a reliable placer rather than a winner. At 8% — roughly 1 win from every 12 races — the hard data leans toward the latter, but that placed prize money quietly adds up, and horses that finish second and third are not without value to a yard.