Dearg Mor

Trained by Aidan Anthony Howard at Curragh in Co Kildare, Dearg Mor has been off the track for 62 days — a short break that suggests the yard is regrouping rather than resting. Howard's team has managed just one winner from the yard so far this season, so resources and expectations are modest. That said, every trainer worth their salt knows a fresh horse can surprise, and 62 days off is sometimes exactly what a young animal needs to find a bit of spark.

At five years old, Dearg Mor still has time to find its feet. Four races is not a large enough sample to write any horse off entirely, and the fact that one of those runs produced a fifth-place finish means there is at least a trace of ability to build on. The challenge for the team now is finding the right opportunity to coax a better performance out of a horse that has, so far, made life difficult for anyone trying to back it.