Only A Dollar

The partnership with jockey Sean O'Keeffe has been the most consistent thread through Only A Dollar's career, the pair having teamed up 12 times together. That one win from 12 races — just 8%, or roughly 1 in every 12 outings — mirrors the horse's overall record and suggests the combination has not unlocked anything the rest of the career hasn't already shown. Trainer Sean Aherne, who operates out of Conna in County Cork, has sent out 5 winners this season, so the yard is clearly capable of getting horses in the winner's enclosure — Only A Dollar has just proven a tougher nut to crack.

What is perhaps most telling is the recent form. The dashes in the last six runs indicate the horse has been pulled up or unseated on multiple occasions, which goes beyond simply finishing down the field — it suggests races that have ended early and without credit. Racing just one day ago, Only A Dollar remains active and clearly has willing the yard behind it, but at 8 years old and with form figures that make for difficult reading, the window for a second career win is narrowing. Clonmel remains the one track where lightning has struck before, and if there is a reason for optimism, that is probably where to find it.