The trouble is, that win came 26 months ago, and his recent form makes for uncomfortable reading. Looking at his last six races — ninth, fifth, fifth, seventh, that win, and a blank before it — the direction of travel is not encouraging. He was competitive through the middle of that sequence but has drifted back toward the tail of the field more recently. At nine, that kind of drift can mean the horse is simply ageing past his best, though the fact that he raced just one day ago shows the yard has not written him off.
Sam Ewing partners him most often, and their record together is quietly interesting: one win from five races, which works out at 20%, or roughly 1 in every 5. That is a better ratio than Faulty's overall career numbers suggest he is capable of, which implies the partnership brings something out in him. Whether that is communication, confidence, or simply familiarity is hard to say from the outside, but it is the kind of detail worth noticing.
The operation behind him is no small outfit. Noel Meade's yard at Castletown, Co Meath has sent out 42 winners already this season — a high-volume, serious training operation that does not waste entries on horses going through the motions. The fact that Faulty is still being actively campaigned from that yard, racing as recently as yesterday, suggests the team believes there is still something left to find. Whether Down Royal comes around again at the right moment is another matter. But for now, Faulty is still running, still placing, and still giving his the yard reasons to keep the faith — just about.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down Royal Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 third | 17 Mar | 33.3% |
| Naas Galloping |
3 | 3 other | 8 Mar | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 21 Feb | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 14 Jan | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 12 Feb | 0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 7 May | 0% |