Mallavelly

The first win came at Dundalk in March 2025, which gave the team something to build on, and Mallavelly has clearly been improving. Two of those three career wins have come in the last six races alone, including a victory at Tipperary in August 2025. Winning twice in a six-race stretch is a meaningful uptick in form for a horse that had previously taken a while to get off the mark, and it points to a horse that has found its feet and learned how to race.

The partnership with jockey James Ryan is worth noting. In five races together, Ryan has ridden Mallavelly to two wins — that is 2 from 5, which works out to a 40% win rate. To put that in context, most jockey-horse combinations at this level are doing well to win 1 in 10. Finding a jockey that suits a particular horse makes a real difference, and these numbers suggest Ryan and Mallavelly bring out the best in each other.

The one area where results have not followed is at the top level. In three races against the very best competition — Class 2, meaning some of the highest-grade races in Ireland — Mallavelly has not managed a win yet, recording 0 from 3. That is not unusual for a horse still finding its ceiling, and it tells you there is room to grow if the talent is there.

G M Lyons is training in excellent form right now, having sent out 49 winners already this season, so Mallavelly is operating in a busy and successful yard. The horse raced just yesterday and remains active, which means the story is still being written. With back-to-back wins in recent memory and a jockey who clearly gets the best out of it, there is every reason to think the next chapter could be the most interesting one yet.