Still, Spirit Of Eagles is clearly a horse that keeps showing up. Racing just yesterday, it remains active and in training with Thomas Dowling at his yard in Baltinglass, County Wicklow — a small operation that has sent out one winner so far this season, so any success is genuinely hard-earned here. Regular jockey Gavin Ryan has partnered the horse seven times and that one win together, at Down Royal, represents a 14% win rate from their partnership — actually a much stronger number than the horse's overall record suggests, and all of Spirit Of Eagles' career success has come with Ryan in the saddle.
The honest truth is that one win from 42 races, and none in the last 34 months, means expectations have to be managed. But the horse is still racing, still placing occasionally, and still working with the same jockey who delivered its one moment of glory. For a small yard, keeping a horse like this in work and competitive is its own kind of achievement.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down Royal Galloping |
9 | 1 win, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 4 other | 29 Sep | 11.1% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
8 | 8 other | 30 Jan | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
5 | 5 other | 7 Sep | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
4 | 1 third, 3 other | 13 Jun | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
3 | 3 other | 17 Aug | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 18 Aug | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 12 Jul | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 30 May | 0% |
| Laytown Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 4 Sep | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 3 May | 0% |
| Catterick Bridge Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 5 Aug | 0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 26 Mar | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 5 Jul | 0% |