Big Gossey

The overall numbers tell the story of a reliable, competitive racehorse: 8 wins and 27 places from 64 races, winning roughly 1 in every 8 (12%). That kind of record means Big Gossey has finished in the top places in more than half of all its races. It is not a horse that runs and disappears — it shows up, competes, and usually gives its the yard something to cheer about. What makes the Curragh record so striking is that 8 wins from 43 races at a single track, for a horse with no wins elsewhere, suggests something specific about the place suits it perfectly. Whether that is the shape of the track, the ground, or simply familiarity built over years, The Curragh brings something out in this horse that nowhere else can.

The sweet spot in terms of distance is 7 furlongs to a mile — at that trip, Big Gossey has won 4 from 8 races, meaning it wins exactly half the time it races at that distance. That is a remarkable ratio for any horse at any level, and it tells you precisely where to look if you want to see it at its best. Jockey Robert Whearty has been the regular partner, riding in 25 of those races and winning 4 of them — a win rate of around 1 in 6, or 16%. That is a meaningful, well-established partnership.

Trained by Charles O'Brien out of Straffan in Co Kildare, Big Gossey is very much in form right now. The last six races read 1-2-9-1-22-2 — two wins, two seconds, one disappointing run, and one outlier. Crucially, the horse won just this week, on 28 June 2026 at The Curragh, and raced again only yesterday. At nine years old and still winning, still turning up, still finding that extra gear on its favourite track, Big Gossey is exactly the kind of horse that rewards anyone who pays attention to the details.