Salacious

The recent form makes for interesting reading. A second-place finish sits in there alongside a third and a fourth, which means Salacious has been close enough to smell the winner's enclosure on more than one occasion. But there are also some blanks and an eighth-place run in the mix, so the performances have been inconsistent rather than a steady build towards a breakthrough. At three years old, there is still time for things to click.

Salacious is trained by Josh Halley, who operates out of Fethard in County Tipperary. It is a small yard by any measure — just two winners on the board this season — so resources and opportunities will be carefully chosen. Finding the right race for a horse that has shown promise without delivering a win yet is one of the quieter challenges in training, and Halley will be hoping Salacious can reward the patience. With a race just yesterday, the horse is clearly in good order and being kept busy, which at least suggests confidence in its wellbeing even if the win column remains empty.