Ballingurteen

The recent form makes for interesting reading. After struggling badly with finishes of 11th and 9th, Ballingurteen has shown clear improvement, placing second last time out before a third most recently. That turnaround over the last couple of runs is worth noting — horses that suddenly start finding their feet after a rough patch can be tricky to catch at the right price, and this one raced just yesterday, so it's very much in the thick of things right now.

Regular rider John Shinnick has been in the saddle for five of those seven races without a win between them, so the partnership hasn't yet cracked the code — but the recent upturn in form gives both horse and jockey something to build on. Trainer Terence O'Brien operates out of Carrigtoohill in County Cork and has had 10 winners on the board this season, which shows the yard is capable of getting horses to the line first. The question is whether Ballingurteen can be the next one to do it for them.