Night Moon

Night Moon's one and only win came at Listowel in September 2023, now 31 months ago, which is a long time to be waiting for a repeat. The recent form makes for slightly mixed reading: a win and a third among the last six runs suggests the ability is still there, but the pair of fifth-place finishes either side of those results show a horse that can go missing as easily as it can perform. That said, a short break of 68 days before this next appearance is not unusual for a horse being managed carefully, and Mullins is not a trainer who runs horses without a reason.

At 6 years old, Night Moon is young enough to have more chapters left to write. The Listowel win is a single data point, but it is a real one — and in a yard producing winners at the rate Mullins currently is, horses can come alive quickly when conditions fall right for them. Whether Night Moon is about to rediscover that form or continue hovering just outside the places is the question, and right now there is genuinely no obvious answer.