The editorial pick sits narrowly ahead of Killeedy on ratings and has managed one placed finish from two races, including a respectable third at Roscommon just 16 days ago. However, he has never raced on normal ground before — this is untested territory for a lightly raced 4-year-old still searching for a breakthrough win.
Never raced on normal groundLightly raced (2 career races)
Wearing tongue strapWon 0 of last 5Raced here before
TrackLab Insight
The market favourite at 2.92 has raced just once, finishing fourth at Killarney 34 days ago — barely three lengths back — and is trained by W P Mullins, who boasts a 211-win win rate from 630 races with this jockey. A single outing is thin evidence, but the trainer's record carries real weight here.
Lightly raced (1 career races)Market favourite (2.92)
This horse has been absent for nearly two years (776 days), an enormous gap that most racehorses never recover from — his only outing came 21 months ago when he finished second by a whisker. At 8.0, the question is not just whether he can find form, but whether his legs remember how to race after such a long layoff.
Lightly raced (1 career races)Absent 776 days (longest in field)
A 4-year-old with just one race under his belt, finishing fourth at Roscommon 16 days ago, and he too has never encountered normal ground conditions. His trainer has a respectable win rate, but Rocky Alfonso himself remains a complete unknown after that single outing.
Never raced on normal groundLightly raced (1 career races)
This 7-year-old has run four times without a single win or place, finishing fifth in three of those outings, and has never raced on normal ground before. At 13.5, she is a fading prospect — the window for improvement at this age has largely closed.
A 6-year-old making their racecourse debut is genuinely unusual — most horses race for the first time as two or three-year-olds, so this late arrival raises questions about what has delayed him this long. With zero prior form and drifting to 51.0, he is essentially a complete unknown stepping into a competitive field at a staying distance.
Like Con Did It, Stary Notions is a 6-year-old debuting for the first time, which is well outside the normal age window for a racecourse introduction. There is no prior form whatsoever to assess, making him a lottery ticket at 23.0 odds in a staying race over two miles and a furlong.
Seven races and still seeking that first win or placed finish — this 5-year-old has a blank record and finished fifth most recently, beaten by nearly 70 lengths. At 101.0, the odds reflect a horse who has yet to show he belongs in this company.
Two races, zero wins and zero places — most recently he trailed home 12th at Galway, beaten by nearly 87 lengths, before a sixth-place finish at this course. At 51.0 and still without a single top-three finish, he represents poor value in a staying test.
How do odds work?The first number is what you win, the second is what you bet. So 5/2 means you win £5 for every £2. 4/1 means you win £4 for every £1. The bigger the first number, the less likely bookmakers think the horse will win — but the more you'd win if it does.