Chou Chou
Chou Chou has been a hard-working foot soldier for trainer
Eamonn O'Connell's yard in Tipperary, picking up the occasional win but mostly grinding out placings in a long career that shows the reality of racing a moderate horse at small tracks. In 32 races, the five-year-old has won just twice and been placed in the frame five times more—a win rate of roughly 1 in every 17 races. Those two victories came at Tipperary (July 2025) and Clonmel (September 2025), and since that second win eleven months ago, Chou Chou has been winless, though not without effort. In the last six races alone, the horse has picked up four minor placings, most recently finishing fourth just yesterday, which shows it remains competitive and is still being asked to run.
Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
Owner
We Built This City Syndicate
📊 Key Numbers
Career statistics for this horse
15.6%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
🔍 Full Analysis
TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
The horse runs its best at the middle distances of one mile one furlong to one mile two furlongs, where it has achieved both of its wins from 15 attempts—a respectable 13% win rate over that trip. Jockey Killian Leonard rides it most often and has steered Chou Chou to one of those wins across six rides together, giving Leonard a 17% win rate aboard, which is notably higher than the horse's overall return. This suggests Leonard may have found the best conditions or tactics for it. O'Connell's yard has been modest in its recent output with just four winners from the season's racing, placing Chou Chou in a small operation that likely doesn't have the resources to target the richest prizes—which is fitting for a horse whose career earnings reflect its mid-tier class and whose best value probably comes in selling races or modest company at provincial tracks.
⚡ Strengths & Risks
What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 1 wins from 6 starts (17%)
✔ Well suited by 1m1f – 1m2f distances: 13% win rate
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 14 starts
⚠ Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Yet to win at Gowran Park in 9 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Undulating tracks: 0 wins from 10 starts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 9 starts
⚠ Struggles on LH Sharp tracks: 0 wins from 5 starts
🎯 Where This Horse Thrives
Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Standard (all-weather)
Unknown
Good to firm (drying out)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Good to yielding (mild give)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Unknown
🏟 Track Shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, tight turns
Loves
Right-handed, hilly
Avoids
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
Left-handed, tight turns
Avoids
📅 Recent Runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
12 Aug
4th
Gowran Park
1m1f – 1m2f · Good_To_Firm · 20 runners
1 Jun
DNF
Gowran Park
1m1f – 1m2f · Good · 16 runners
9 May
14th
Killarney
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 19 runners
13 Jan
9th
Dundalk
1m3f – 1m4f · Standard · 17 runners
13 Oct
9th
Roscommon
1m6f – 2m · Soft · 19 runners
20 Sep
7th
Gowran Park
1m1f – 1m2f · Heavy · 16 runners
11 Sep
🏆 Won
Clonmel
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft · 17 runners
13 Aug
5th
Gowran Park
1m1f – 1m2f · Good · 20 runners
26 Jul
2nd
Gowran Park
1m1f – 1m2f · Good · 15 runners
16 Jul
7th
Killarney
1m3f – 1m4f · Soft · 18 runners
🏇 Jockey Partnerships
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
Conor Cusack Current Jockey
🏟 Track Record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|
| Gowran Park Undulating |
9 |
1 second, 8 other |
12 Aug |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
3 |
3 other |
9 May |
0% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
13 Jan |
0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
31 May |
0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
21 Jun |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
19 Apr |
0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
5 Jul |
0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
11 Sep |
100% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 |
1 win |
2 Jul |
100% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
10 Jul |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
24 Mar |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
31 Dec |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
15 Jul |
0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
24 Jun |
0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
13 Oct |
0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
26 May |
0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
10 Oct |
0% |