What makes that Listowel win worth noting is the track itself. Listowel is a beloved festival track in County Kerry, atmospheric and fiercely competitive during its famous September meeting. Winning there is not a footnote — it is the kind of result the yard frame on the wall. That Tropical Image saved its first career victory for that occasion gives it a certain charm, even if the surrounding record is lean.
The horse is trained by Eoin Christopher McCarthy out of Athea in County Limerick, a yard that has sent out 15 winners this season, so there is clearly ability in the operation. Regular jockey G B Noonan has been aboard for 6 of those 17 races without a win together, though that partnership was not in the saddle for the Listowel breakthrough. Recent form reads 6-7-–-6-1-3, showing a horse that is competitive enough to place but has struggled to dominate — the gap in that sequence suggests a race missed, and the horse raced just one day ago, meaning it is firmly in the middle of an active campaign.
At 9 years old, Tropical Image is not a horse with a mountain of time ahead of it, but the Listowel win eight months ago proves it can get there on the right day. Sometimes one moment is enough to change how you read a career.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick Galloping |
5 | 5 other | 29 Dec | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
4 | 1 second, 3 other | 24 Oct | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
3 | 1 third, 2 other | 11 May | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 26 Sep | 50% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 29 Oct | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 23 Jul | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
1 | 1 other | 16 Jun | 0% |