Indulging

The recent form makes for sobering reading. Finishing fifth, then eighth twice, then sixth twice in the last six outings suggests a horse that is running out of its best form at the moment, slipping back from even its usual standard of honourable defeat. Racing just yesterday, Indulging remains an active participant — credit where it is due for sheer durability at eight years old, an age when many horses have long since retired.

Regular partner W J Lee has been in the saddle seven times and is still waiting for a winner alongside this horse, a combination that has so far produced plenty of effort and precious little reward. That said, the yard sending them out — Ross O'Sullivan's operation in Kilcullen, Co Kildare — is clearly in decent health, having produced 35 winners already this season. Sometimes a busy, successful stable carries a horse like Indulging simply because it keeps trying, keeps earning small cheques in the places, and causes no trouble. Not every horse in a yard needs to win; some just need to keep running.

What makes Indulging mildly fascinating rather than simply frustrating is that six places from 27 races — winning roughly 1 in every 4.5 races when it comes to finishing in the money — shows a horse that is genuinely competitive, just not quite good enough to win. That gap between "placing" and "winning" is a thin one in theory and a vast one in practice, and Indulging has lived its entire career on the wrong side of it.