Croke Park

Since switching to chase racing this season, Croke Park has won two Grade 1 races—the sort of top-tier contests that mark out genuine staying chasers—including a victory at Leopardstown on 26 December. That win came despite the horse slipping on the approach to the first fence and, by Elliott's own admission, not jumping as well as he had previously. It was a performance that suggested genuine toughness. Yet the form since then has stalled. In his last six races, Croke Park has not won, finishing second once and third three times—solid efforts that keep him competitive but nothing more. He raced just yesterday, so he is very much an active, current runner.

Sam Ewing, who rides Croke Park most often, has worked him 5 times and won on him twice—a 40% success rate that suggests real understanding between horse and jockey. Elliott, based at Longwood in Co Meath and running a prolific operation with 210 winners this season alone, faces a choice about Croke Park's future. Does the horse have one more big-race run in him at a Grade 1 or Grade 2 level, or is he better suited to handicap chasing where his age and recent form might still make him competitive? That decision may come down to what happens in the next few races. For now, Croke Park remains a horse worth watching—proven at the highest level, but at a crossroads.