What is genuinely interesting about him is his behaviour in very wet and muddy ground. On those days when conditions are truly grim, he lights up. He has won 2 of his last 12 races on soft ground, a win rate of 17% — markedly better than his overall record. That is the kind of detail that makes him useful to trainers and punters alike: he is the horse you back when the track turns into a bog. His trainer, Ross O'Sullivan, based at Kilcullen, Co Kildare, knows his horses well (the yard has sent out 40 winners already this season), and he clearly understands where San Aer belongs.
Recently, though, things have stalled. His last six races have brought nothing but places and defeats — a 5th, a 2nd, another 5th, a 14th, and an 11th. He raced as recently as yesterday, which speaks to his reliability; he turns up and tries. His regular rider, Ben Coen, has partnered him 9 times for 1 win, a win rate of 11% — solid enough, but not transformative. San Aer is exactly what he appears to be: a dependable campaigner in modest company who will steal a race on the right day in the right conditions, but whose winning days are increasingly behind him.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Curragh Galloping |
14 | 1 win, 1 second, 12 other | 19 Apr | 7.1% |
| Galway Tight |
12 | 2 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 6 other | 1 Aug | 16.7% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
8 | 1 second, 1 third, 6 other | 12 Jun | 0% |
| Naas Galloping |
5 | 1 third, 4 other | 22 Mar | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
4 | 1 win, 1 second, 2 other | 14 Jul | 25% |
| Thurles Undulating |
3 | 2 thirds, 1 other | 27 Nov | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
2 | 2 other | 11 Aug | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 5 May | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 25 Apr | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
1 | 1 other | 17 May | 0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 3 Dec | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 13 Apr | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 11 May | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 14 Jan | 0% |