The recent form makes for sobering reading: in its last six races, the best result was a third-place finish, followed by a ninth, a fourth, and three unplaced efforts since. Peter Smithers has partnered the horse for six of those races and is yet to ride it to a win, which at least means the two of them are very much in this together. The yard itself has managed just one winner this season, so it is not as though Couldntmakeitup is letting down a powerhouse operation — this is a team working hard at the sharp end of the sport where winners are hard to come by.
What is genuinely interesting here is the consistency of the near-misses. Five places from 16 races means the horse has finished in the frame almost a third of the time without ever converting. That is a horse who clearly belongs on a racecourse and runs with enough ability to be competitive — it just has not yet found that one moment where everything clicks. With a race recorded just yesterday, Couldntmakeitup is still very much active and still presumably looking for that elusive first win. Whether it ever arrives, the name will remain one of the better jokes in the sport.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punchestown Galloping |
3 | 1 third, 2 other | 12 Jan | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 1 Jun | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 28 Sep | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 5 Jul | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 7 Jul | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Feb | 0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 16 Dec | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 13 Dec | 0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 3 Dec | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 12 Apr | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 22 Nov | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 18 Apr | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 11 Aug | 0% |