The overall numbers are quietly impressive for a horse this age. Eight races in, Chicago Pope has won 2 and finished in the top four on four other occasions — that's a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4 races, with a place in half of all outings. Recent form tells an even more compelling story: the last six runs read 4-1-2-1-19-5, which means two wins, two runner-up finishes, a fourth, and one rough day at the office. That 19th-place finish looks like the outlier it almost certainly is. Horses have bad days, and one blip in an otherwise consistent sequence is the mark of a genuine performer, not a fluke.
Ben Coen has been the regular partner in the saddle, and the pair have clearly clicked. In five races together, they've won twice — a win rate of 40%, or 2 wins from every 5 rides. That's a meaningful number. When a jockey and horse build a rhythm together, it often shows in the results, and these two are producing exactly that.
Behind the scenes, JP Murtagh's yard at Coolaghknock Glebe in County Kildare is having a serious season — 53 winners sent out already, which speaks to an operation firing on all cylinders. Chicago Pope is one of those winners, having last scored at Naas just five weeks ago. With the horse still active — racing as recently as yesterday — there's clearly more to come from a three-year-old still learning its trade and already showing signs it knows how to win.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naas Galloping |
3 | 2 wins, 1 other | 9 May | 66.7% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 27 Sep | 0% |
| York Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 13 Jun | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 4 Apr | 0% |