Cornmarket

Trained by John J. Cullen, Cornmarket is a horse that has taken its time to find its feet. Across 25 career races it wins roughly 1 in 8, which is a modest return — but that number flatters to deceive, because strip out Sligo and the record looks considerably thinner. The yard has sent out 3 winners this season, so Cullen is clearly not without form, and Cornmarket has been one of those contributors.

The partnership with jockey Alan King is worth paying attention to. In 7 races together, King has ridden Cornmarket to all 3 of its wins — a win rate of 43%, or nearly 3 in every 7 rides. That is an unusually high hit rate for any jockey-horse combination, and it suggests the two have developed a real understanding. When King is in the saddle at Sligo, you are essentially looking at a horse that wins almost half the time. That is the kind of stat that gets quietly noted by people who know what they are looking at.

Cornmarket also shows a clear liking for normal ground conditions — 2 wins from 7 races on a standard surface — which fits with Sligo's typical profile. Its recent form reads 2-7-8-–-1-4 (most recent first), meaning it finished second last time out after winning the time before that. It is not on a losing run so much as a horse bouncing around near the front of the field. Last raced just one day ago, it is very much an active participant this season. Its most recent win came at Sligo in October 2025, and with that track-and-jockey combination still intact, it would take a brave person to write Cornmarket off next time it heads back there.