Andys Flame

The most eye-catching detail is the recent form. Reading the last six races from most recent backwards: a win, a fall or non-completion, then a first place — Andys Flame has shown real signs of life lately after a fairly quiet career. That win at Kelso in April 2025 was the horse's second career victory, coming over three years after the first at Downpatrick in March 2022. Two wins spread across nearly four years of racing is a long wait, but it also tells you this horse is still showing up, still competitive, and still capable of getting the job done.

Ground conditions matter more than most casual observers realise. Horses have preferences, like athletes who perform better in certain weather. On normal ground, Andys Flame has won 2 from 10 races — a 20% win rate, which is actually a solid return. That's 1 in every 5 races on a good surface, compared to nothing on other types of ground. When the conditions suit, this horse is a different proposition entirely.

John C McConnell trains Andys Flame out of Stamullen in County Meath, and it's a yard operating with real momentum — 38 winners sent out this season, which is a healthy volume of success. The partnership with jockey Mr A Harvey is one area where the results haven't clicked yet: six races together, no wins. That's a combination still searching for its moment.

Andys Flame raced just yesterday, which means this is a horse in active training and currently at the centre of things. At nine, some horses begin to fade — but the recent win at Kelso and the competitive placing just days ago suggest Andys Flame isn't reading from that script. For a horse who has found winning genuinely difficult across a long career, the fact that it's still finding ways to be relevant is the most compelling thing about it.