Whiskey Serenade

The horse raced just yesterday and continues to be sent out regularly by trainer Thomas Coyle's yard at Batterstown, in County Meath. Coyle has saddled two winners this season from what appears to be a modest operation, so the yard is not without its successes elsewhere. Jockey Keith Donoghue, who has ridden Whiskey Serenade six times, has yet to break through with the horse either — all six of their partnerships have ended without victory.

Looking at the most recent six races, Whiskey Serenade's form reads 6-6-7-2-–-16, which shows a decent second place not long ago but also some wider margins in defeat that suggest the horse is treading water rather than finding improvement. At this stage of its career, with thirteen races in the bag and still waiting for that first success, Whiskey Serenade faces the reality that many horses do: it may have found its level in races where it simply cannot quite get the job done. The horse remains active and racing, but the clock is ticking on what has become a frustratingly barren sequence.