I A Connect

What makes I A Connect genuinely interesting is what happens when the ground gets wet. On soft, soggy ground he has won 4 of his 10 races — that's 40%, a number that should make any trainer sit up and circle the calendar when the rain comes in. This isn't a coincidence; it's a horse that transforms when conditions suit him. Ian Patrick Donoghue, who trains him out of Clonalvy in County Meath, clearly knows how to place him — his yard has sent out 26 winners this season, so he knows what he's doing.

The last win came on St Stephen's Day 2025 at Down Royal, which is exactly the kind of detail that sticks. Boxing Day at Down Royal is a proper occasion, and I A Connect rose to it. Before that, there's a slightly frustrating what-if moment lurking in his record: the trainer has spoken about a race at Punchestown where he was travelling well in a competitive race only for his jockey to come off two from home. Races like that haunt yards. Gordon Elliott, who has handled him at some point, noted that a step up in trip to two and a half miles would suit him — and jockey Jack Kennedy once described him plainly as a horse that "just stays," adding that he battled hard even when he wasn't fully fluent at his fences.

Right now, his recent form reads a bit patchy — he's finished 3rd, 11th, and 7th in three of his last five outings before that December win — but he raced just yesterday, which means he's still firmly in training and going about his business. Caragh Monaghan has ridden him six times, winning once, a rate of roughly 1 in 6. For an eleven-year-old still racing regularly and still winning on his day, I A Connect is a small but genuine pleasure of the jumping game.