Carvalhal

His most recent win came at Limerick on 19 June, two months ago, but his form since then has been patchy. In his last six races he has finished 16th, then placed, then placed again before running 14th and 10th—the kind of results that suggest he is still searching for his next opening. His usual partner in the saddle, Nicola Burns, has ridden him 12 times without a winner, which tells you something about the difficulty of timing a successful raid on a race with this horse. Trainer R P Burns, based in County Westmeath, has suggested that pulling Carvalhal back a furlong or two from his preferred distances might unlock something new, and at a rating of 60 competing mostly at Class 6 level (where he has won 1 of 10 races, or 10%), he remains within reach of another success. The yard has sent out five winners this season, so there is plenty of form about. For now, Carvalhal is a horse with moments rather than a consistent force, but those moments have been real enough to keep him interesting.