Rockymountainbleu

That Punchestown win, now 18 months ago, stands as the defining moment of the career so far. It hasn't been repeated since, and the last six races have produced a sequence of 9-2-3-3-4-7 — which means two runner-up finishes and a pair of thirds tucked in among the blanks. That sort of form suggests a horse hovering just below winning level: close enough to keep the yard hopeful, not quite sharp enough to get the job done.

The partnership with jockey Tiernan Power Roche has been the consistent thread, with the pair combining 10 times together for that single win — a 10% win rate, or 1 win from every 10 races they've shared. That is not a particularly striking number, but the familiarity between horse and rider clearly counts for something when the trainer keeps putting them together. The trainer in question is P J Rothwell, based at Tinahely in County Wicklow, and the yard is in decent form this season with 36 winners sent out — so the platform is there if Rockymountainbleu can find another day like that November afternoon at Punchestown.

What makes this horse interesting is less about the numbers and more about the stubborn continuity of it all. Still racing at 8, still placing, still turning up — raced as recently as yesterday. Whatever Rockymountainbleu lacks in firepower, there is clearly enough there to keep the team believing another win is possible. Whether that belief is well-founded may depend on finding the right race at the right time, ideally back at Punchestown, where the record already shows this horse can get the job done.