That said, context matters. The yard sending Meriden out is anything but a struggling operation. Denis Gerard Hogan, based at Cloughjordan in County Tipperary, has put together 56 winners already this season — a serious volume of success that marks him out as one of the more productive trainers in Ireland right now. When a yard is firing at that rate, they tend to know which horses are ready to run and which are still learning the job. The fact that Meriden is still being pointed at races, and ran as recently as yesterday, suggests Hogan's team believe there is something worth persevering with.
The most encouraging thing that can honestly be said about Meriden at this stage is that the story is not over. At three years old, there is time, and with an active, well-resourced yard behind it, the opportunity to find the right race will come. But improvement needs to arrive soon — because right now, four races have come and gone without so much as a placed finish to show for them.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 22 Apr | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 8 May | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 28 Mar | 0% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 10 Apr | 0% |