Cisterna

The recent form chart reads like a horse searching for another breakthrough. Two runs ago came a tenth-place finish, before that an eighth, then a fifth — the kind of form line that would frustrate any the yard. But then came a win last time out just yesterday, suggesting Cisterna has finally remembered how to get the job done. If that hold, it could be the moment everything clicks into place for this three-year-old.

Andrew Slattery, both trainer and regular rider, has found success with Cisterna when they pair up, though not without patience. Together they have managed one win from nine races—better than the overall record suggests, but still a reminder that this horse demands a lot from everyone involved. Slattery's yard at Thurles in County Tipperary has been firing on all cylinders this season with 62 winners sent out, so Cisterna benefits from being trained in a stable clearly in form. The challenge now is whether yesterday's win marks a turning point or simply a flash of what might be. At three years old, Cisterna has time, but the window for establishing itself as a genuine racehorse is narrowing fast.