Desert Friend
Desert Friend is a resilient ten-year-old who has carved out a modest but steady career across 60 races, winning 5 of them and placing in 14 others. That's a win rate of roughly 1 in every 12 races — respectable enough for a horse that has clearly learned its trade over many years of racing. The gelding last won at Sligo on May 3rd, 2026, four months ago, which means it has been chasing another victory ever since without success. Over its last six runs, the results tell a story of a horse trying hard but not quite getting there: a sixteenth place, then twentieth, a couple of fourths, and finishes of twelfth and ninth. These are not disastrous performances, but they show a horse that is edging closer without breaking through.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
Trained by P J F Murphy at Castlecomer in County Kilkenny, Desert Friend has been ridden most frequently by Ben Coen, with whom it has won once from eight races. The yard itself has sent out four winners this season, suggesting decent form at home. Desert Friend's first win came in June 2022 at Listowel, and the fact that it has managed five victories over more than six years of racing points to a genuine trier — not a flashy competitor, but one that shows up and does the job often enough to have earned its place in the racing calendar. With its most recent outing just a day ago, the horse remains actively campaigned, still hunting for that sixth win.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 1 wins from 8 starts (12%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 9 starts
⚠ Poor record on good_to_yielding ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Poor record on heavy ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Yet to win at Navan in 5 attempts
⚠ Struggles on LH Galloping tracks: 1 wins from 26 starts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 11 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Likes
Standard (all-weather)
Likes
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
Good to yielding (mild give)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Unknown
Class 4 (standard)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Right-handed, tight turns
Loves
Left-handed, tight turns
Loves
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Left-handed, long straights
Avoids
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
Right-handed, tight
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
8 Oct
5th
Thurles
1m6f – 2m · Yielding · 17 runners
27 Aug
16th
Navan
1m6f – 2m · Good · 26 runners
27 Jul
20th
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 23 runners
20 Jul
4th
Ballinrobe
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Yielding · 11 runners
2 Jul
4th
Bellewstown
1m6f – 2m · Good · 12 runners
7 Jun
12th
Navan
1m6f – 2m · Good · 16 runners
31 May
9th
Listowel
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 14 runners
3 May
🏆 Won
Sligo
1m6f – 2m · Yielding_To_Soft · 17 runners
11 Apr
9th
Bellewstown
1m3f – 1m4f · Soft · 14 runners
10 Apr
3rd
Dundalk
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 12 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
Conor Cusack Current jockey
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
12 |
1 win, 1 third, 10 other |
10 Apr |
8.3% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
5 |
1 win, 1 second, 3 other |
20 Jul |
20% |
| Navan Galloping |
5 |
1 third, 4 other |
27 Aug |
0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
4 |
1 win, 1 second, 2 other |
31 May |
25% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
4 |
4 other |
31 Aug |
0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
4 |
1 third, 3 other |
24 Mar |
0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
3 |
1 win, 1 third, 1 other |
3 May |
33.3% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
3 |
3 other |
2 Jul |
0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
3 |
3 other |
28 Jun |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
3 |
3 other |
27 Jul |
0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
29 Aug |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
20 Mar |
0% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
13 Nov |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
2 Mar |
0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
9 Jun |
100% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
8 Oct |
0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 |
1 third |
11 Jul |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
16 Nov |
0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
18 Jul |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
10 Feb |
0% |
| Sedgefield Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
3 Dec |
0% |