Cruisin Susan

The key to understanding Cruisin Susan is one word: Tramore. The seaside track on Ireland's south coast is where she has built her entire reputation, and the numbers back it up. Two of her three career wins have come there across 14 visits — a win rate of 1 in 7, which is more than twice her overall average. Some horses just click with a particular track, whether it's the shape of the course, the way it rides, or simply the familiarity of the place. Whatever it is, Tramore clearly suits Cruisin Susan in a way most tracks simply don't.

She also has a clear preference for normal ground — not too wet, not too firm — and on those conditions she has won 2 of her 9 races, roughly 1 in every 4 and a half. That's a noticeably higher clip than her overall record suggests, and it tells you something important: when the stars align — Tramore, decent ground — Cruisin Susan is a different proposition.

Her regular partner in the saddle is Mr J P Berry, who has been aboard for 30 of her 35 races and shares all three of her wins. That's a 10% win rate together — wins in 3 of every 30 rides — which is modest but speaks to a real working relationship built over time. Racing partnerships like that matter; a jockey who knows a horse's quirks and tendencies is always an asset.

The honest assessment, though, is that recent form is patchy. She hasn't won in her last six races, and her most recent results — finishing sixth, thirteenth, and seventh in her last three outings — show a horse that is competitive enough without threatening the winner's enclosure. Her last win came at Tramore in August 2024, now 21 months ago. She raced just yesterday, which tells you the team still believes there's something to aim at. Whether another Tramore win is in the offing remains to be seen, but if the ground comes up right and she gets her favourite track again, don't write her off entirely.