Hopes Are High

The most recent win came at Listowel on 21 September 2025, and since then Hopes Are High has been in and out of the placings. Over the last six races it has finished second, fourth, third, and first — a mixed run that includes a 12th-place finish, but also proof that on its day it can still find the line. It raced just yesterday, so the horse is active and ready to go again soon. Trainer William Durkan, based at Sandyford in Dublin, has had a solid season with 15 winners from the yard, and Hopes Are High represents the kind of reliable middle-distance performer that can pick up races when conditions and opposition fall right.

At its best, this is a horse worth following at longer distances. The win rate over two miles or more shows that stamina is its asset, and if the race is set up to suit — firm ground, a proper test, and a field that plays to its strengths — Hopes Are High has proven it can deliver. The ten-month wait since its last victory suggests it has faced tougher opposition since Listowel, but the recent second and third placings hint that it remains competitive. This is a horse that knows how to win races, even if they don't come round very often.