He Fitz In

The real story of He Fitz In is how long it has been since that last decent day arrived. His most recent win came on 24 March 2024 at Limerick, nearly two and a half years ago now. Since then, nothing — six consecutive races without a win or even a place finish, most recently just over a week ago. At ten years old, he is still racing, which speaks to a sturdy constitution and a willingness to turn up, but the results have dried up almost entirely. He won his first race back in June 2022 at Kilbeggan, suggesting that in his earlier years there was at least some spark of form, yet the long absence from the winner's circle in recent times paints a picture of a horse in permanent decline.

What is worth noting is that jockey Danny Mullins, who rides for the trainer D E Fitzgerald, has had better luck aboard him than anyone else — two wins from 12 races together gives him a win rate of about one in six, which is well above He Fitz In's career average. That partnership might offer the best remaining chance of another victory, though at this stage in his career and with such a long wait since his last win, He Fitz In feels less like a horse to watch and more like one who has earned a quiet life. He is still turning up to race, still searching for that next moment in the sun, but the calendar tells a gentler story than the one his owners might have imagined.