Combs

That one Tipperary win now sits over twelve months ago, and the last six races have produced a string of third and fourth-place finishes — consistent, competitive, but not quite decisive. A sequence of 9-6-4-3-3-3 tells its own story: Combs began that run well off the pace, but has been creeping closer and closer with every outing, finishing third in three races in a row. Whether that momentum eventually translates into a win is the question hanging over the horse right now.

What gives Combs an obvious advantage is the yard behind it. Gordon Elliott, based at Longwood in County Meath, is one of the most powerful training operations in Irish racing — this season alone his yard has produced 209 winners. When a trainer is firing in winners at that kind of volume, it means horses in his care tend to be placed in races they can win and prepared with real precision. Combs may not have converted yet, but it is learning its trade in one of the best possible environments. With those placing numbers trending in the right direction and a top-level team behind it, the wait for win number two may not last much longer.