Jordans

Since that win, 18 months have passed without another, and his recent sequence of 3-11-–-5-8-2 tells the story of a horse mixing encouraging efforts with disappointing ones. The second place at Limerick stands out — Deegan felt he had a real chance turning for home, only to be beaten by a horse the jockey described as simply very good. That kind of defeat, where you run your race and still get beaten, is very different from one where things go wrong. It suggests Jordans is competitive at a decent level, just not yet at the top of the tree.

The interesting part is where he goes from here. His trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien — one of the leading yards in Ireland, having sent out 154 winners already this season — has flagged that Jordans will return in a staying chase, the long-distance jumping events that suit a horse who keeps galloping. O'Brien has even mentioned the Grand National as a possibility somewhere down the line, though he's been careful not to get ahead of himself. That's worth noting: the Grand National at Aintree is one of the most famous races in the world, run over four miles and more than 30 fences. You don't mention it lightly. For now, Jordans is a horse with one win, a handful of near-misses, and a trainer who clearly thinks there is more to come.