Dandyville

The recent form tells the story. In its last six races, Dandyville finished second most recently—a near-miss a day ago—but before that came a string of mid-field efforts: 7th, 18th, 16th, 12th, and another 12th. These are not catastrophic results, but they show a horse that is no longer competing at the sharp end. There is a pattern of disappointment rather than genuine competitiveness.

What does stand out is the partnership with jockey W J Lee. Together they have won 2 races from 6 outings—a 33% win rate, which is nearly double Dandyville's overall record. That suggests chemistry matters, or at least that the horse performs better for this particular rider. Trainer Ms Claire O'Connell, based at Ashbourne in County Meath, has saddled four winners this season, so the yard is not without winners to show for its efforts. But Dandyville itself looks like a horse heading towards retirement: it is active and still running, but the wins have dried up and the finishes have slipped backward. That second place last week might be a sign of returning form, or it might simply be a false glimmer in what has become an otherwise ordinary career.