No Big Deal

What is worth noting, though, is where No Big Deal does its best work. Over longer distances of two miles or more, the picture improves slightly: 1 win from 12 races at that range, which works out at roughly 1 in every 12. That is still modest, but it does suggest the horse at least finds its most comfortable territory when the race tests stamina rather than pure speed. Strip away the longer trips and the record elsewhere is even thinner.

The partnership with jockey N G McCullagh has not clicked so far — six races together and no wins between them. That is not unusual for a horse that has only won once in its career, but it does suggest the combination has yet to find a moment where everything falls into place at the same time. Trainer Charles O'Brien, based in Straffan, Co Kildare, has had just one winner from his yard this season, so this is clearly not a stable operating at full tilt right now.

The most recent form reading — finishing 8th, 9th, and 10th in its last three outings — is not easy to dress up. Before that sequence, there was a second place and the winning run at Clonmel, which at least shows the horse can compete when conditions suit. Having raced just one day ago, No Big Deal is clearly a horse kept busy, which sometimes reflects a team searching for the right opportunity rather than one with a clear plan. Whether another moment like Clonmel comes along is the open question — but with 22 races on the clock and only one win, the honest answer is that those days may be more the exception than anything else.