The most telling number in his record is what happens when you put him on normal ground at around seven furlongs to a mile. In those conditions and over those distances, he has won 2 from 3 races — a 67% win rate that suggests the trainer has figured out exactly how to place him. Compare that to his overall record and you can see the difference between a horse being asked the right questions and the wrong ones.
Then there is Dundalk. Sir Les Patterson has won 2 of his 3 races at the Irish track, most recently on 20 February this year. That is not a coincidence — some horses simply take to a particular track's surface or layout in a way that defies easy explanation, and Dundalk seems to bring out the best in him. His recent form backs this up: in his last six races he has finished 3rd, 10th, 4th, 1st, 1st, and 4th reading from oldest to most recent, with the two wins sitting right at the sharp end of that sequence.
Stephen Thorne's yard at Rush in County Dublin has sent out 24 winners this season, which tells you this is a team that knows how to get a horse ready to win. Sir Les Patterson raced just yesterday, so he is right in the thick of a busy campaign. With normal ground and a run at Dundalk on the horizon, the ingredients are already in place for him to add to his five career wins.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
3 | 2 wins, 1 other | 20 Feb | 66.7% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 third | 17 Apr | 50% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 27 Sep | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 12 Dec | 100% |
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 8 Mar | 100% |
| chelmsford | 1 | 1 other | 17 Oct | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 Apr | 0% |
| Sandown Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 31 Aug | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 2 May | 0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 20 Jun | 0% |
| York Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 14 Jun | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 25 May | 0% |