Buddy One

The horse has not won in his last six runs, with recent efforts of 8th, 7th, 11th, 6th, and 17th placing him back in the hunt for a breakthrough. His most recent race was just a day ago, and he remains in active training with Paul John Gilligan at Athenry in County Galway. That yard has sent out 5 winners already this season, so there is form in the stable. Jockey Jack G Gilligan has ridden him on 24 occasions and won 4 of those races — a 17 per cent win rate with the horse, which is slightly better than his overall record.

The real story of Buddy One lies in his preferences. On wet or muddy ground, he is a different proposition entirely: he has won 3 of 9 races on such conditions, a 33 per cent win rate that stands in sharp contrast to his form elsewhere. His last win came at Ballinrobe on 21 July 2025, a full 12 months ago now, suggesting he may be due a return to the winner's enclosure soon if the yard can find him the right race on a soft surface. He also shows a slight edge over longer distances, with races between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles suiting him best. However, when stepped up to the very top class of racing, his record flattens entirely — he has not won in 6 attempts at that level. Buddy One is a dependable performer on home ground and in testing conditions, the sort of horse that will keep his yard ticking over without ever quite scaling the heights.