What is genuinely encouraging, though, is the recent form. The last six runs read 4-3-6-3-3-2 — and if you strip out that one below-par sixth-place finish, there is a horse that keeps finding itself in the thick of things. Four consecutive top-four finishes, including two thirds and a second, suggests Big Dispute is in decent nick right now and running to a reliable level, even if a winner's cheque has proved elusive.
The horse races out of Kevin Thomas Coleman's yard in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, a team that has sent out 10 winners already this season — so there is clearly form in the stable. Phillip Enright has partnered Big Dispute five times without a win between them, which is a combination that has yet to click, though it has not stopped the horse posting competitive results.
Big Dispute raced just yesterday, so the yard will be watching closely to see how it comes out of that run. At seven, this is not a young horse still finding itself — it knows what racing asks of it. The question now is whether that elusive second win is just around the corner, or whether Killarney in the spring of 2023 will remain the solitary high point of a career defined more by consistency than glory.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cork Galloping |
4 | 2 thirds, 2 other | 10 May | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
2 | 1 win, 1 second | 12 May | 50% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 6 Nov | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 15 May | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 28 Dec | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 19 Jan | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 30 May | 0% |