Ladiam

That Sligo record — 2 wins from 6 races there — is genuinely striking. One in three races at a specific course is a number most horses never come close to, and it tells you this isn't coincidence. Something about Sligo suits Ladiam, whether that's the tight, sharp layout or the way the track rides on a given day. Trainers and jockeys learn to read these patterns, and Norman Lee's yard in Gort, Co. Galway, clearly has. The most recent win came at Sligo on 10 June 2025, so while it has been 11 months since Ladiam last reached the winner's enclosure, the blueprint for how to get it there again is already written.

The recent form — finishing 2nd, 5th, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 5th across the last six races — reads like a horse doing enough to remind everyone it belongs without quite producing when it counts. Two runner-up finishes in that sequence are encouraging; it's placing consistently rather than fading into the pack. Regular partner G B Noonan has won once from seven rides together, roughly 1 in every 7, which is a decent conversion rate for this level of horse.

Ladiam raced just yesterday, so it is right in the thick of an active campaign. At nine years old it is an experienced competitor that knows its job, and with Sligo almost certainly on the agenda at some point this season, Norman Lee will be quietly optimistic. If you ever find yourself at that track on the right day, this is a name worth remembering.