Little Empire

What makes Little Empire worth watching is Ayr. In just three races at that Scottish track, it has won twice — a win rate of two in three that stands in stark contrast to its overall numbers. That's the kind of course dominance that trainers and punters remember. Its most recent victory came at Dundalk on 21 November 2025, but that's now nine months in the past, and a look at the last six races tells a sobering story: third, sixth, second, fourth, then a blank, then third again. The horse is still running — it was out just a day ago — but it hasn't found the winners' enclosure since late autumn.

Trainer Anthony McCann, based in Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan, has sent out seven winners this season and keeps Little Empire as part of the string. The horse has worked regularly with Patrick McGettigan in the saddle, though that partnership has yielded only one win from six races together. At this stage of its career, Little Empire looks like a game horse that will keep competing but is unlikely to trouble the big races. Its value lies in those rare days at Ayr, where something about the track and the horse simply click.