Kells Priory

That said, the recent form isn't without encouragement. In its last six races, Kells Priory has put in back-to-back fourth-place finishes, which suggests it's not out of sorts — just not quite finding that extra gear when it matters. There's a blank run in there too, but the horse raced just one day ago, which means it's clearly fit and in a routine of competing regularly. For a nine-year-old, that level of activity and consistency in placing is no small thing.

The partnership with jockey Richard Condon has been the most regular one of Kells Priory's career — nine races together, one win, which works out to roughly 1 in every 9 rides. Not an explosive combination on paper, but a familiar one, and familiarity counts for something with a horse that's been around long enough to have opinions about how things are done.

Behind the scenes, the training operation is in strong shape. Olly Murphy, based at Wilmcote in Warwickshire, has sent out 146 winners already this season — that's a yard firing on all cylinders, and it means Kells Priory is being kept in good hands even if the results haven't quite clicked lately. The first career win came at Gowran Park in January 2022, a cold midwinter day that now feels like a different chapter entirely.

The honest truth about Kells Priory is that it's a horse who has given its the yard plenty of near-misses and a handful of genuine highlights, but is now in the phase of its career where every race feels like a chance to prove the last win wasn't the final word. Whether that third victory comes soon is the question — but it's clearly still trying to find it.