Ballystone
Ballystone is a horse that knows how to pick its moment. The eight-year-old has won 3 of its 14 races, which works out at roughly 1 win in every 5 attempts — respectable form for a horse at this level. What makes it genuinely interesting is that this week it landed a win at Killarney on August 20th, and just yesterday it was back in action. That kind of quick turnaround tells you the horse is sharp and the trainer John C McConnell, who runs a strong operation out of Stamullen in County Meath, believes it's worth running while it's in form. McConnell's yard has already sent out 36 winners this season, so there's clearly a good eye for placing horses where they belong.Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
The most telling detail about Ballystone is its preference for normal ground. On standard conditions, it has won 2 of its 3 races — that's a 67% win rate, which is genuinely exceptional. Put it on wet or muddy ground, or fast and dry ground, and it struggles to finish in the frame. This is the kind of specific strength that smart trainers exploit. Its last six races show a horse that is moving in the right direction: two wins and three fourth-place finishes. That recent Killarney success came just a week before yesterday's outing, which suggests McConnell is confident the horse is in a good place right now.
Ballystone's partnership with jockey A Harvey has been modest — one win from five races together — but the horse's overall consistency and that telling preference for standard conditions make it worth keeping an eye on. Once you know Ballystone wants normal ground, you begin to understand why it runs.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good ground: 2 wins from 3 starts (67%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Struggles on LH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 6 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Loves
Good to yielding (mild give)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 3 (mid-level)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Unknown
Left-handed, hilly
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
20 Aug
🏆 Won
Killarney
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 8 runners
31 Jul
4th
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 10 runners
30 Apr
DNF
Punchestown
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 26 runners
3 Aug
🏆 Won
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 23 runners
14 Jun
4th
Hexham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 10 runners
17 Mar
4th
Wexford
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 11 runners
23 Feb
8th
Naas
1m6f – 2m · Heavy · 11 runners
27 Dec
11th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 21 runners
9 Dec
5th
Navan
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 5 runners
19 Nov
5th
Navan
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft_To_Heavy · 6 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Navan Galloping |
4 |
1 third, 3 other |
9 Dec |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
31 Jul |
50% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
20 Aug |
100% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
30 May |
100% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
23 Feb |
0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
17 Mar |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
30 Apr |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 second |
9 Apr |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
27 Dec |
0% |
| Hexham Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
14 Jun |
0% |