Eyeeye

The recent form makes for tough reading. Looking at the last six runs, the best result was a third-place finish, followed by a string of eighth and ninth placings and one unfinished race. That's a horse that has drifted to the back of the field more often than not lately, and there's little in the numbers to suggest a change of fortune is imminent.

Jack G Gilligan has been in the saddle for seven of Eyeeye's races, which is a significant chunk of the horse's career, yet that partnership has yet to produce a win either. It's a combination that clearly has faith in each other — seven rides together is not a small commitment — but the results haven't rewarded that loyalty so far. Paul John Gilligan, training out of Athenry in County Galway, has sent out five winners this season, so the yard is clearly capable of getting horses to the winner's enclosure. Eyeeye just hasn't been one of them.

What's perhaps most striking is the sheer persistence. Eyeeye raced just one day ago and is very much an active competitor. Twenty-seven races is a long road, and plenty of horses with less to show for it have been quietly retired. The fact that Eyeeye keeps lining up says something — whether that's optimism, opportunity, or simply that there's a race out there with its name on it somewhere. Every horse wins eventually, the saying goes. Eyeeye is testing that theory thoroughly.