Simply Natural

The recent form makes for interesting reading. In the last six races, Simply Natural has finished second twice and fourth twice, with a promising back-to-back second place in two of the most recent outings. That kind of consistency in placing — without actually winning — is one of racing's more frustrating puzzles. The horse is clearly competitive enough to mix it with the leaders, so the question of when, rather than if, becomes a reasonable one to ask.

What works in Simply Natural's favour is the yard behind it. Gavin Cromwell operates out of Navan in County Meath and has sent out 98 winners already this season — that's a serious training operation by any measure. A yard firing at that rate doesn't keep running a horse without believing there's a win in it somewhere. Cromwell has a reputation for patient, well-timed placing of horses, so the fact that Simply Natural keeps appearing in the entries suggests the team see a race out there that suits.

For now, Simply Natural sits in that intriguing category of horses that have done everything except win. Three places from seven races is a decent return on effort, and the recent seconds show the form is heading in the right direction. When the moment finally comes — the right race, the right ground, the right day — it might not come as a surprise to anyone who has been watching closely.