Big Gossey

His recent form tells a slightly harder story. In his last six races he has managed two second-place finishes and another couple of places, but no wins — a dry spell that is not unusual for a horse of his age and experience, but worth noting. The sweet spot in his racing profile is the distance range of seven furlongs to a mile. Over those distances he has won 4 of 10 races, a 40% win rate that is genuinely eye-catching and suggests that when he is pitched into the right race at the right trip, he remains competitive. Robert Whearty, his most frequent rider, has partnered him 25 times and won 4 of those — a 16% win rate — suggesting the pair work well together when Big Gossey is in the mood.

Charles O'Brien trains him from Straffan in County Kildare. It is a small yard by volume — only 2 winners sent out this season — but Big Gossey remains an active runner at nine years old, which is testament either to his durability or to O'Brien's care in finding him suitable races. He last raced just a day ago, so he is clearly still being given opportunities to win. For a horse approaching the back end of his career, Big Gossey has earned his way: he remains selective at a track that knows him, effective over his preferred trip, and capable of competing at what appears to be a modest but genuine level.