In The Trenches

Trained by Gavin Cromwell at Navan — whose yard has already sent out 96 winners this season — In The Trenches works most often with jockey Keith Donoghue, though that partnership has yielded nothing but placings from 13 rides together. His most recent form shows he is still competing: a seventh, a fourth, a first-place blank, a win (which must be that June victory), a second, and another blank across his last six runs. Only 1 day ago he raced, so he remains an active member of the yard. When stepped up to Class 4 company — one of the better grades — he has not won from 4 attempts, suggesting he runs best against easier opposition.

For a horse in his prime years, In The Trenches represents the middle tier of racing: reliable enough to keep returning, rare enough with a winner's taste to stay interesting, but realistic in his ceiling. He will likely end his career with a handful of wins at best, the kind of horse racing fans remember not for greatness but for those occasional moments when everything clicks and he gets his head in front.