Game And Glory

Both career wins are worth a look. The first came at Tramore in October 2022, and the second — and most recent — at Ballinrobe in April 2024, which is now 25 months in the rear-view mirror. Six races have come and gone since then without a winner's enclosure visit, and the recent form figures make for sobering reading: a fourth place and a ninth are the only times it's registered in the last six outings, with three runs not even placing. That's not the form of a horse threatening to end a drought anytime soon.

P J O'Hanlon has been the regular partner, riding Game And Glory 12 times together without a single win between them — 0 from 12 is a tough record, though it's hard to know whether that reflects the horse, the racing luck, or simply the level of competition it faces. The trainer is P J Rothwell, based out of Tinahely in County Wicklow, and it's worth noting the yard is in decent nick this season — 35 winners sent out is a healthy return and suggests this isn't a stable short of confidence or ability. Game And Glory raced just yesterday, which means it's being kept busy and clearly holds its condition well enough to run at 10 years old.

At this point in its career, Game And Glory isn't a horse you'd back with great optimism, but there's something almost admirable about its longevity. Forty-three races. Still running. Still in a yard that's winning races. Sometimes just staying in the game is the whole story.