Fort Randall

The overall numbers are modest: one win and five places from 19 races, a win rate of around 1 in every 20 outings. But context matters here. Fort Randall has been placed six times, which tells you he is competitive and often in the mix without quite getting the job done — not a horse that trails in last, but one that has spent a lot of his career finishing just behind the good stuff. His recent form reads 3-1-7-3-6-3, and that second place sits right there alongside the win, suggesting he is in a decent patch of form right now.

His most regular partner in the saddle has been Jody McGarvey, and between them they have drawn a blank across seven races together — not an unusual story for a horse at this level, but worth noting. The combination has simply not clicked in terms of winning. Noel C Kelly trains him out of Draperstown in Co. Derry, a yard that has sent out 14 winners this season, so there is clearly ability in the string. Kelly will know better than anyone what conditions suit Fort Randall and when to aim him at a race he can win.

What is striking is how fresh all of this is. Fort Randall raced just yesterday, and his only career win came three weeks ago. For a seven-year-old who spent a long time waiting for that breakthrough, the timing is interesting — he is not winding down, he is as active as ever. Whether Kilbeggan proves to be a one-off or the start of something is the question the team will be quietly asking themselves as they plan his next few runs.