Miss Jocund

What works in her favour is who's behind her. Henry De Bromhead's yard at Knockeen in Co Waterford is one of the most productive operations in the game right now, having sent out 107 winners already this season — that's a level of output that only the very best yards sustain. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe there's a race to be won somewhere. De Bromhead has a sharp eye for placing horses where they can succeed, so the fact that Miss Jocund is still active and racing regularly suggests patience rather than resignation.

At five years old, she's not short of time. Some horses take a while to find their feet, and zero wins from four races is hardly a crisis — it's barely a sample size. The two placed efforts early in her career show the ability is there. The challenge now is putting it all together on the right day, at the right track, under the right conditions. With a yard firing at this rate behind her, that day might not be far off.