Flying Fortress

Trained by Gavin Cromwell at his yard in Navan, Co. Meath, Flying Fortress operates in a busy, productive stable — one that has sent out 97 winners already this season, so competition for attention is fierce. The horse raced for the first time at Ballinrobe in May 2025 and took that win, an encouraging start. Then, in September 2025 at Listowel, it won again — and that second success has now stood as the most recent victory for around eight months. The recent form reads 5-10-1-5-2-3, which means a win sandwiched between a string of near-misses and mid-pack finishes. The second and third places are tantalising — this is a horse that is consistently present without consistently winning.

The distance picture is one of the more interesting threads to pull on. Over a mile and one to a mile and two furlongs, Flying Fortress has won both of its career races from ten attempts at those trips — a win rate of 20%, or 1 in every 5. That is genuinely solid. It suggests the horse has found its range and knows what it is doing at that distance, even if it does not always deliver.

Where things get trickier is at the higher level. In four races at Class 4 — one step up in grade — Flying Fortress has yet to win. That blank record does not mean it cannot, but it does suggest the horse is currently most comfortable and most dangerous when the competition drops back a little.

Gary Carroll rides most often, partnering Flying Fortress in 5 of its 16 races and winning once — a 20% win rate together, which is a decent return. The horse raced just one day ago, so it is very much in active training and mid-campaign. Whether another win is coming soon depends on finding the right race at the right distance — but the evidence says when those things align, Flying Fortress is not one to dismiss lightly.