Bocelli's Voice

Those two wins tell their own story. The first came at Clonmel in March 2023, and the second — and most recent — arrived at Wexford in April 2024, now 25 months ago. That's a long drought, and the last six races have offered little sign of a revival, with finishing positions of seventh, tenth, and two unplaced efforts sandwiched around a couple of blanks. A horse that hasn't won in over two years, at the age of ten, is unlikely to suddenly rediscover that spark — though sport has a habit of making fools of people who say that too loudly.

Patrick M O'Brien has been the regular jockey, partnering Bocelli's Voice nine times without getting to the winner's enclosure together — 0 from 9 is a tough record to overlook, though it is worth noting that the horse's overall win rate is slim enough that almost any jockey would struggle to show much different. Dermot McLoughlin trains the horse from his yard in Ratoath, County Meath, and while the stable has sent out ten winners this season, Bocelli's Voice has not been among the contributors.

Raced just yesterday, so the legs are clearly still willing. At this point in its career, Bocelli's Voice looks like a horse kept in training more out of loyalty and hope than expectation — the sort who turns up reliably, runs honestly, and occasionally reminds everyone why they kept faith. A third win is not impossible, but it would be a genuine surprise.