Dutch Schultz

Trained by Gavin Cromwell out of Navan in County Meath, Dutch Schultz is part of a yard that has been firing on all cylinders this season, with 97 winners sent out. Cromwell clearly knows what he is doing, and the fact that he still has this horse in training at nine says something about the belief the team holds in it. Most often in the saddle is Keith Donoghue, who has ridden it in 16 of its races and won twice — a win rate of 12%, which is modestly above the horse's overall average. That is the kind of quiet partnership that builds over time.

The most useful thing to know about Dutch Schultz is that it genuinely likes the mud. On wet or soft ground, it has won 2 races from just 9 — that is 22%, more than double its overall win rate. When the rain comes and the ground gets heavy, this horse becomes a different proposition. It also shows up best over a middle-distance trip of a mile and six furlongs to two miles, winning 1 from 5 at those distances. That combination — soft ground, right distance — is when to pay attention.

The last win came at Killarney in August 2024, now 21 months ago, and the recent run of form makes for modest reading: finishes of sixth, sixth, a non-completion, fifth, seventh, and eighth in its last six races. It has not won in that entire stretch. But it is still racing — it ran just yesterday — and at nine years old, still competing in races, that in itself is worth something.

Dutch Schultz is not a horse that is going to shake up the top of the market. What it is, is a consistent, experienced campaigner that knows its job, suits a particular set of conditions, and keeps turning up. On the right day, with the ground riding soft and the trip right, there is still a race in it.