Grey Leader

The partnership with jockey Gary Carroll is worth noting. Across 15 races together, Carroll has ridden Grey Leader to 4 of those 5 wins — a win rate of 27%, or just over 1 in every 4 rides. That kind of chemistry matters. When the two have linked up, results have followed, and it is telling that the vast majority of Grey Leader's success has come with the same pair of hands in the saddle.

Conditions play a big role with this horse. On wet or muddy ground, Grey Leader is a genuine threat, winning 2 from 6 races in those conditions — a 33% win rate, or 1 in every 3 races. On a soft day, this horse is worth a second look. Trainer R P Burns, based at Collinstown in Co Westmeath, clearly knows how to place Grey Leader well, and with 5 winners already on the board this season, the yard is in good form.

The most recent win came at Tipperary in October 2025, and the horse raced again just yesterday, which tells you this is an active, campaigning sort rather than one being wrapped in cotton wool. Recent form reads 15-25-11-5-1-8 from the last six runs — that fifth place and the win before it show the talent is still there, even if the last couple of outings have been tougher. A horse that won as recently as seven months ago and is still racing regularly is not one whose best days are behind it. Grey Leader is very much a work in progress, and on the right day — ideally a wet one — there is every chance another win is coming.