Desert Cave
Desert Cave is a horse that has spent almost his entire racing life in search of a second victory. The eight-year-old broke his duck at Kilbeggan on 17 June 2024, but that remains his only win across nineteen outings — a 5 per cent success rate that tells you he operates at a modest level and has never quite managed to recapture the magic of that first win. Over the past six races, he has finished nowhere near the placings, with results of 13th, 7th, 10th, 11th, and 6th, suggesting he is drifting further from the winning post rather than closer to it.Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
The time since that last victory is stark: twenty-six months. For a horse still active at eight years old, that is a long drought. G Ahern's yard at Leamlara in County Cork, which has produced just one winner all season, has been patient with Desert Cave, and the horse was back in action just a day ago. Shane Fitzgerald has ridden him five times without a win, and the recent form offers little encouragement. Desert Cave is the kind of horse that was once capable of getting to the line first but has become a consistent also-ran — useful enough to place occasionally, yet frustratingly unable to string together the kind of effort needed to win again at his current age and stage of his career.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good_to_yielding ground: 1 wins from 4 starts (25%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 5 starts
⚠ Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 5 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good to yielding (mild give)
Loves
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Avoids
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 4 (standard)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Right-handed, tight
Loves
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Left-handed, long straights
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
Right-handed, tight turns
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
23 Jul
13th
Wexford
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 15 runners
10 Jul
7th
Cork
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 11 runners
2 Jul
10th
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 15 runners
15 May
11th
Kilbeggan
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Yielding · 17 runners
20 Apr
DNF
Tramore
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 11 runners
17 Mar
6th
Down Royal
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 8 runners
5 Feb
5th
Thurles
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 11 runners
29 Jun
DNF
Cartmel
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 11 runners
1 Jun
9th
Kilbeggan
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 12 runners
12 May
DNF
Killarney
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 13 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Kilbeggan Tight |
4 |
1 win, 1 third, 2 other |
15 May |
25% |
| Galway Tight |
2 |
2 other |
26 Oct |
0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
20 Apr |
0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
23 Jul |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
21 Feb |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
10 Mar |
0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
30 Nov |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
12 May |
0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
17 Mar |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
10 Jul |
0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
5 Feb |
0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
2 Jul |
0% |
| Cartmel Tight |
1 |
1 other |
29 Jun |
0% |