Vervain

The concerning part is how long it has been since that sole win. Thirteen months is a desert in racing terms. Vervain has run six times since Cork without finding the line first, though it has managed to place twice in that spell. Recent form reads 5-2-4-4-18-14, which shows a horse that can touch the places now and then but struggles to deliver the full job. That last run came just a day ago, so Vervain is clearly still active and still trying, but the wins are not coming.

There are glimmers of something workable here. The horse performs noticeably better at longer distances — between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles — where it has won 1 from 3 races, a win rate of 33 percent. That suggests Vervain knows how to handle the grind of a distance race better than shorter tests. Gary Carroll, the jockey who rides it most often, has a 17 percent win rate aboard — 1 win from 6 — which is a touch better than the overall picture. David Harry Kelly's yard at Rathvin, Co Tipperary, has sent out 13 winners this season, so there is some form there. But for Vervain itself, the story remains one of effort without reward. It is a horse that deserves its place in the races and clearly has the constitution to run, but converting that into victories has proved stubbornly difficult.