Aill Dubh
At nine years old, Aill Dubh is the kind of horse that makes you appreciate patience. Across 14 races and the better part of a career, this horse had managed just a single win and two places — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 14 races — before things finally clicked into place at Newcastle on 31 March 2026. That breakthrough, arriving just six weeks ago, is the defining moment of the profile so far.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
Owner
The Cheltenham Trail
📊 Key Numbers
Career statistics for this horse
14.3%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
🔍 Full Analysis
TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
The recent form tells a quietly encouraging story. Reading the last six runs from most recent backwards — 4th, 1st, 3rd — suggests a horse that has found some form and is holding it. A third, then a first, then a fourth is not the résumé of a horse going backwards. At nine, most horses are winding down, so the fact that Aill Dubh is racing again just one day ago and appears to be in the best form of its career is genuinely interesting.
Micky Hammond trains from Middleham in North Yorkshire, one of the great racing villages in Britain, and his yard has been in solid nick this season — 25 winners and counting. That level of output from a yard matters: horses in form stables tend to arrive at the track fit and ready, and Hammond clearly knows how to place his horses to give them a chance. Aill Dubh's long wait for a first win might say as much about finding the right opportunity as it does about ability.
⚡ Strengths & Risks
What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good_to_soft ground: 1 wins from 4 starts (25%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good_to_yielding ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
🎯 Where This Horse Thrives
Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Good to soft (some give)
Loves
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Good to yielding (mild give)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Competition Level
Class 5 (entry-level)
Avoids
🏟 Track Shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, long straights
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, tight
Avoids
Right-handed, tight turns
Avoids
📅 Recent Runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
13 May
4th
Perth
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 8 runners
31 Mar
🏆 Won
Newcastle
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 7 runners
14 Mar
3rd
Newcastle
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 11 runners
25 Jan
DNF
Sedgefield
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 11 runners
26 Dec
DNF
Wetherby
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 8 runners
10 Dec
DNF
Hexham
1m6f – 2m · Heavy · 9 runners
28 Aug
11th
Bellewstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 19 runners
21 Aug
10th
Sligo
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 17 runners
8 Aug
4th
Sligo
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 10 runners
26 Jul
DNF
Kilbeggan
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 17 runners
🏇 Jockey Partnerships
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
🏟 Track Record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|
| Kilbeggan Tight |
3 |
3 other |
26 Jul |
0% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
2 |
1 win, 1 third |
31 Mar |
50% |
| Sligo Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
21 Aug |
0% |
| Wetherby Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
26 Dec |
0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
24 Nov |
0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
28 Aug |
0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
16 May |
0% |
| Hexham Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
10 Dec |
0% |
| Perth Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
13 May |
0% |
| Sedgefield Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
25 Jan |
0% |