The horse first broke its duck at Dundalk in July 2025, and has since added a second win just this week at Gowran Park — as recently as 20 May 2026, meaning it is firmly in form right now. That most recent victory will have turned heads, because recent runs had suggested it was building toward something: third, third, seventh, sixth in the runs before this week, before bouncing back to win. Horses that keep placing without winning can sometimes be frustrating puzzles, but Ballymagreehan appears to have found its rhythm at exactly the right moment.
The key to understanding this horse is the distance. At a mile and one furlong to a mile and two furlongs, it has won 2 of its 8 races at those trips — a 25% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 4 outings. That is a genuinely strong return and suggests a horse that knows its best job and does it well when the conditions are right. Stretch it shorter or longer and the record thins out considerably.
Ballymagreehan is trained by David Marnane out of Bansha in County Tipperary, a yard that has sent out 16 winners this season — a healthy, active operation with plenty going on. Its most regular partner in the saddle has been Luke McAteer, who has ridden the horse six times without a win between them, which makes it interesting that the victories have come with other arrangements. Whether that changes going forward remains to be seen. What is clear is that this is a horse in form, with a win in the bank from just days ago, operating at a distance it clearly enjoys.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
8 | 1 win, 1 second, 3 thirds, 3 other | 28 Jan | 12.5% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 20 May | 50% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 5 Jun | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 2 Jul | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 17 Oct | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 23 Oct | 0% |