The recent form tells a complicated story. That placed effort came four runs ago, sandwiched between some pretty difficult days — finishing 12th, 11th, and 13th in three of the last six races suggests this is a horse that can blow hot and cold. The most recent run, a fifth place just yesterday, is actually one of the better results in that sequence and hints that things may be slowly clicking into place.
Robbie Colgan has been the regular partner, riding Cala Gracioneta in five of those nine races without a win to show for it. That's not necessarily a criticism of either horse or jockey — sometimes a partnership just needs time, or needs a particular type of race to suit. Matthew J Smith, who trains the horse from his yard in Kilmessan, County Meath, has already sent out eight winners this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses to win. The question is when — or whether — Cala Gracioneta can add to that tally.
At four years old, there is still time. Some horses take longer to mature, and a first win can sometimes come out of nowhere once conditions fall right. Yesterday's fifth is at least a more encouraging sign than those double-digit finishes earlier in the season.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
3 | 3 other | 23 Jan | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 22 Oct | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
2 | 2 other | 3 Jul | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 7 Jul | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 31 May | 0% |