Bobby McGee

The winning streak began back in April at Gowran Park, and Bobby McGee has not looked back since. Look at the last six races and the pattern is striking: two fourth-place finishes early on, then a third, and then three consecutive wins as the horse seemingly figured out what racing is all about. That progression — from mid-pack finisher to back-to-back-to-back winner — is exactly the kind of improvement that gets people paying attention.

Behind the horse is Noel Meade, one of Irish racing's most respected trainers, operating out of his yard in Castletown, County Meath. Meade's team has sent out 42 winners already this season, which tells you this is not a quiet operation running moderate horses in modest races. It is a busy, successful yard, and the fact that Bobby McGee is one of its flagbearers right now says something about how highly the horse is regarded at home.

At just three years old and with only seven races behind it, Bobby McGee is still very much a work in progress — and that is arguably the most exciting thing about it. The ceiling is unknown. Three wins and four places from seven races, a current winning streak, and a trainer in the form of his life: this is a horse worth keeping an eye on.