Shoda
Shoda is a horse that knows what suits it, and this week proved it all over again. The five-year-old landed its third career win at Downpatrick just days ago, making it three victories from 16 races overall — a win rate of roughly 1 in 5. What matters more than the numbers, though, is where those wins have come: Shoda clearly loves normal ground conditions, winning 2 of its last 5 races when the track has been in standard order. Put the horse on anything too soft or too firm, and the form dips noticeably.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
📊 Key Numbers
Career statistics for this horse
62.5%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
🔍 Full Analysis
TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
Recent form tells a mixed story. In the last six races, Shoda has finished on the frame three times — twice third, once eighth — but it has also managed a couple of blank runs. The horse is in that middle tier of ability: reliable enough to hit the frame regularly, good enough to win when circumstances line up, but not prolific enough to dominate. The latest Downpatrick victory this week suggests the horse still has something to offer and hasn't gone stale despite being five years old.
Joseph Patrick O'Brien's Owning Hill yard in County Kilkenny has sent out 160 winners this season, so Shoda is part of a productive operation. O'Brien clearly knows what this horse needs — racing it on the right ground has yielded real results. For a horse in the lower to middle part of the racing pyramid, consistency matters as much as outright ability, and Shoda has shown enough of it to keep earning its place in the yard's racing plans.
⚡ Strengths & Risks
What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good ground: 2 wins from 5 starts (40%)
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 1 wins from 3 starts (33%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on heavy ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
🎯 Where This Horse Thrives
Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Good to yielding (mild give)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏟 Track Shape
Right-handed, tight turns
Likes
Right-handed, tight
Likes
Right-handed, long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent Runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
9 Aug
🏆 Won
Downpatrick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 7 runners
29 Jul
8th
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 21 runners
3 Mar
7th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 13 runners
1 Feb
9th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 19 runners
8 Jan
3rd
Clonmel
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 18 runners
26 Dec
3rd
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 21 runners
11 Sep
🏆 Won
Clonmel
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 14 runners
16 Aug
2nd
Tramore
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 11 runners
30 Jul
2nd
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 23 runners
23 Jun
5th
Ballinrobe
1m6f – 2m · Yielding · 13 runners
🏇 Jockey Partnerships
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
🏟 Track Record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|
| Galway Tight |
4 |
1 win, 1 second, 2 other |
29 Jul |
25% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
3 |
1 third, 2 other |
3 Mar |
0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
2 |
1 win, 1 third |
8 Jan |
50% |
| Downpatrick Undulating |
1 |
1 win |
9 Aug |
100% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
24 Aug |
0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 |
1 second |
16 Aug |
0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
26 Dec |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 third |
15 Jul |
0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
23 Jun |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
23 Feb |
0% |