Cappucino

Both wins have come in Ireland, and the timeline tells an interesting story. The first came at Listowel in late September 2024, and then — just three weeks later — Cappucino backed it up at Punchestown in October of the same year. That back-to-back success suggested a horse who had found its feet. The worry is what has happened since: that Punchestown win is now 19 months in the past, and the six races since have produced nothing better than a second place. The most recent run came just yesterday, so this is a horse very much still in the thick of things, even if the wins have dried up.

Sean Flanagan rides Cappucino most often, partnering up for 8 of those 19 races and landing one winner together — a win rate of around 1 in 8. That's a working relationship rather than a golden partnership, but Flanagan clearly knows the horse well enough to keep getting the call. The trainer is Liz Doyle, who operates out of Crossabeg in County Wexford and has sent out four winners this season. It's a smaller yard, and four winners is a solid return — the kind of operation where every horse pulls its weight and nothing is wasted.

The honest read on Cappucino is this: a consistent performer at a modest level who had a purple patch in autumn 2024 and hasn't quite rediscovered that form since. Seven places from 19 races show a horse who often runs well enough to matter, even when the win isn't there. Whether Doyle's yard can find the right race to bring that winning feeling back is the question worth watching.