Lady Iseult

That Roscommon win is the defining moment of her story. It is also where she has done her best work with regular jockey P J O'Hanlon, who has partnered her in 10 of her 18 races and shares that one win — a record of 1 from 10 together, or roughly 1 in every 10 rides. It is a modest return, but it is the partnership that got her onto the scoresheet, and that counts for something.

Trained by Dermot McLoughlin out of his yard in Bodeen, Ratoath in County Meath — a set-up that has sent out 10 winners already this season, so clearly a functioning operation — Lady Iseult has posted a second and a fourth in her last six races, showing she is still competitive enough to get into the mix, even if the winner's enclosure has felt a long way off lately. At 11, most horses at this level have long since retired. The fact that she is still placing, still racing, and was out on the track just yesterday suggests she remains sound and willing, which at this stage of a career is its own kind of achievement.

She will probably not win again. But sport is not only about winners, and there is something genuinely likeable about a horse who has been turning up, giving her best, and keeping her team interested for the better part of a decade. Lady Iseult is not a star — but she is the kind of dependable, durable competitor that makes up the heart of racing.