Tumbling In

What makes this particularly striking is how consistent he has been while searching for that elusive victory. Of his five career races, he has finished in the money in four of them, with three third-place finishes sandwiched around his breakthrough win and a runner-up effort most recently. That is genuine consistency, even if the scoreline read blank for so long. His one-in-five win rate does not tell the full story—he is the kind of horse who shows up to compete every time he runs, even when the result does not land in his favour.

He remains active, having raced just yesterday, which suggests his trainer E McNamara at Rathkeale yard in County Limerick sees plenty more opportunities ahead. McNamara's stable has already sent out 22 winners this season, so there is clear momentum in the yard. For a horse who has done the hard work of staying consistent and finally broken his duck, the timing of that breakthrough could hardly be better. The question now is whether winning once has given Tumbling In the confidence to make it a habit.