Black Heather
Black Heather is a seven-year-old who has found occasional sparks of form in what has otherwise been a fairly frustrating racing career. The horse has won just 2 of its 17 races overall, a win rate of roughly 1 in 9, but there is something worth watching here: on slightly soft ground, Black Heather transforms into a different proposition entirely, winning 2 of the 4 races it has run on such conditions. That is a 50% win rate on those surfaces — far and away its best platform.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 more recent picture is less encouraging. Black Heather's last six races have yielded only two placed finishes and a handful of unplaced runs, and it has not won since April 2025 at Naas, now 18 months in the past. The yard sending it out — Gavin Cromwell's operation at Navan in County Meath — remains in sharp form this season with 96 winners to its name, so the horse is in capable hands, but Black Heather itself has clearly hit a lean spell. Just a day ago it was back at the track, so the appetite to find a winning race remains, though the drought suggests that opportunities may be harder to come by at its current level. For a horse with such a stark pattern of preferring softer conditions, ground will be the key variable to watch: on the right surface, Black Heather has shown it can still perform.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good_to_yielding ground: 2 wins from 4 starts (50%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 8 starts
⚠ Poor record on heavy ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good to yielding (mild give)
Loves
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Avoids
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, tight turns
Likes
Right-handed, long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
1 Oct
DNF
Clonmel
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 15 runners
2 Sep
11th
Navan
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 17 runners
29 Jul
12th
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 23 runners
20 Jul
4th
Ballinrobe
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Yielding · 9 runners
30 Jun
4th
Roscommon
1m6f – 2m · Good · 16 runners
5 Jul
DNF
Bellewstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 18 runners
7 Jun
5th
Punchestown
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 6 runners
28 May
3rd
Wexford
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 10 runners
10 May
6th
Cork
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 8 runners
5 Apr
3rd
Bellewstown
1m6f – 2m · Good · 8 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 |
|---|
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
20 Jul |
50% |
| Naas Galloping |
2 |
1 win, 1 third |
3 Apr |
50% |
| Navan Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
2 Sep |
0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
5 Jul |
0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
1 Oct |
0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 |
1 third |
28 Sep |
0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
1 |
1 third |
2 Jun |
0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 |
1 third |
28 May |
0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
30 Jun |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
10 May |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 |
1 other |
29 Jul |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
7 Jun |
0% |