The recent form tells an interesting story. Looking at the last six races in reverse order, Shaool finished third, then second, then won two on the bounce, before slipping back to sixth twice. That mid-sequence double victory — back-to-back wins — is the kind of form that gets people talking, and the 2 wins from its last 6 races (33% in that window) suggest a horse that has found a level and is able to compete at it. Leopardstown has been the venue for both career highlights worth noting here: the first win came there in June 2025, and the most recent victory on 19 October 2025 confirmed the track clearly suits.
J P Murtagh trains Shaool out of Coolaghknock Glebe in County Kildare, and this is a yard operating in serious form — 54 winners sent out already this season, which is a significant number and speaks to an operation that knows how to prepare horses to win. The partnership with jockey Ben Coen is worth watching too. In 8 rides together, Coen has won twice — that is 1 in every 4, or 25%, which is a genuinely strong return and suggests the two have developed a real understanding.
Where Shaool tends to shine is over a mile and a furlong to a mile and two furlongs. It has won 1 from 3 at those distances — 33% — and that range seems to play to its strengths. The horse raced just one day ago, so it is very much in the thick of things right now. Whether those two sixth-place finishes that bookend the recent winning run represent a blip or a trend is the question the next run will start to answer.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Curragh Galloping |
4 | 1 win, 1 second, 2 other | 4 May | 25% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
2 | 2 wins | 19 Oct | 100% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 28 Mar | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 15 Jul | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 21 Jul | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 12 May | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 25 Apr | 0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 22 Mar | 0% |