Arctic Steps

Across 15 races, Arctic Steps has won 3 times and placed on 6 other occasions, meaning it has finished in the money in 9 of those 15 outings. That is a horse that rarely runs badly. The win rate sits at around 1 in every 5 races — 20% — which is solid, but the places column tells its own story. This is a consistent performer, not one that saves everything for a single big day and disappears the rest of the time.

The recent run of form is particularly eye-catching: 1-5-2-2-6-1 over the last six races, reading from most recent backwards. That means two wins, three places, and only one genuinely disappointing run. Two wins from the last six races is a good clip, and with a victory just yesterday, Arctic Steps arrives at this moment in the season with momentum that trainers dream about. O'Sullivan's yard has been in excellent shape generally — 35 winners sent out this season is a serious number, suggesting a yard firing on all cylinders, and Arctic Steps looks like a horse benefiting from that environment.

One factor that stands out is how well Arctic Steps performs on normal ground conditions. With 2 wins from just 4 races on a standard surface, that is a remarkable 50% win rate — meaning it wins half its races when the ground is right. That is the kind of stat that makes a trainer keep one eye on the weather forecast. When conditions suit, this horse is a genuinely different proposition.

Jockey Rory Cleary has been the regular partner, riding Arctic Steps in 5 of its 15 races and winning once together — the same 1-in-5 ratio as the overall career record. The partnership first struck gold at Down Royal back in May 2025, and the combination has now gone back to the well with another winner this week at Naas. A horse that is winning, in form, with a settled jockey and a trainer having a productive season — there are not many better boxes to tick heading into a race.