Dreal Deal

Trained by P J Rothwell out of Tinahely in County Wicklow, Dreal Deal has had solid support from a yard that has sent out 36 winners this season alone — that is a busy, functioning operation that clearly knows what it is doing. The partnership with jockey Simon Torrens stands out in particular: together they have won 3 from 9 races, which works out at 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 rides. That is a genuinely strong number and suggests Torrens understands exactly how to get the best out of this horse.

The career started in earnest with a first win at Dundalk in December 2022, and the most recent came at Killarney in July 2025 — a summer track, a summer win, which is worth noting if the yard are plotting a route back to form. That Killarney win is ten months ago now, and the last six races have not produced a victory, with the most recent efforts including a third place and then a string of finishes further back. The recent form — a dash (which likely signals a fall or non-completion), then a third, then results of 12th, 10th, 6th, and 4th — suggests a horse that had a rough patch before starting to creep back toward competitiveness.

At eleven, Dreal Deal is not going to reinvent itself, but that is almost beside the point. It is currently active and still showing up, still placing, and trained by a yard in form. For a general racing fan, the most interesting question now is simple: can Torrens get back in the saddle and find that 1-in-3 magic again before the season is out?