The recent form makes for tough reading too. In the last six races, Arctic Piper has failed to finish in the top six on every occasion it has completed a run, with finishes of eighth and tenth among the recorded placings. It last raced 80 days ago, so there has been a short break — sometimes that freshens a horse up, though there is little in the record to suggest a transformation is coming.
Simon Torrens has been the regular partner in the saddle, riding Arctic Piper in five of its races together without a win to show for it. That is not necessarily a knock on either horse or jockey — some combinations just never quite click — but it does underline that nothing has changed when the pair have teamed up. Trainer Patrick T Foley, based in Bagenalstown in County Carlow, has had a decent season with 14 winners sent out from his yard, so the operation clearly knows how to get a horse to win. Arctic Piper, so far, has not been one of those horses.
There is something quietly stubborn about a seven-year-old that keeps turning up to race despite never having won. Whether Arctic Piper finds its moment eventually is the open question — but based purely on what the record shows, anyone watching it run should probably adjust their expectations accordingly and simply enjoy the spectacle.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clonmel Sharp |
3 | 3 other | 8 Jan | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 13 Sep | 0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
2 | 2 other | 13 Jul | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 26 Dec | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 Dec | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 3 Aug | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 10 May | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 20 Nov | 0% |