Ataboycharlie

That one win came at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day — 26 December 2023 — which is one of Irish racing's most festive and well-attended fixtures. Getting off the mark at a track like that, on a day like that, is worth something. The trouble is, it remains the only time Ataboycharlie has reached the winner's enclosure, and with 28 months now passed since that day, the wait for a repeat has grown long.

Recent form makes for sober reading. The last six outings have produced an unplaced run, a third, and a series of mid-to-back-of-field finishes — including two eighths and a non-completion. There is no obvious momentum building. The horse is trained by Edward Cawley at Batterstown in County Meath, a smaller yard that has sent out just one winner this season, so resources and firepower are limited.

The most familiar face in the saddle has been J J Slevin, who has ridden Ataboycharlie in five of its races and been aboard for that sole career victory. Their 1-from-5 record together — a 20% win rate as a partnership — is actually better than the horse's overall figures suggest, though one win from five is a small sample and difficult to read too much into.

Ataboycharlie last raced 26 days ago and remains in training, so another run is likely not far away. Whether it can recapture anything like that Leopardstown spark is the open question. For now, it's a horse with a nice story attached to one good day — and a longer story of making up the numbers since.