Shantou Show

Since that Tipperary win 35 months ago, Shantou Show has not crossed the line in front once. Six races without a win, finishing no better than fifth in any of them, and the form figures read like a horse that is competing without seriously threatening. The most recent run came 36 days ago — a short enough break — and the numbers since that purple patch in spring 2023 make for sobering reading. At 10 years old, with its best form now well in the rear-view mirror, the window for adding to that tally is narrowing.

There is a particular subplot worth noting. Conor Stone-Walsh has partnered Shantou Show six times and is yet to taste victory on board — 0 wins from 6 rides together, which at this point feels less like bad luck and more like a combination that simply has not clicked. That said, trainer Noel C Kelly, based in Draperstown, County Derry, has had a productive season with 14 winners sent out from the yard, which shows there is plenty of ability in the operation. The question is whether Shantou Show has enough left to add to that tally, or whether it is one of those horses that occasionally reminds you it can place without quite finding the extra gear needed to win.