Elsannah
At nine years old, Elsannah is a horse with experience to spare — ten races into a career that has produced two wins and three placed finishes, a record that translates to winning roughly 1 in every 5 races. That is a respectable return, and the two wins came in quick succession back in the spring of 2023, first at Naas in late March and then at Cork just ten days later. Back-to-back wins like that suggest a horse hitting form at exactly the right moment, and for a brief window Elsannah looked like one to follow.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 problem is that the Cork win was 36 months ago, and the record since then tells a different story. Of the last six races, there are two blank runs either side of that purple patch and a fifth-place finish mixed in — three outings without a finish in the frame is not the profile of a horse in its pomp. Still, Elsannah remains active, having raced just yesterday, which means whatever the trainer sees in this horse, it is enough to keep sending it out.
Paul John Gilligan, based in Athenry in County Galway, has had five winners this season from his yard — a steady operation rather than a powerhouse stable, but clearly one that knows how to get a horse ready to win. Whether Elsannah can add to those two wins from 2023 remains to be seen, but a horse that has won 2 of its last 6 races is not one to completely dismiss.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 6 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, long straights
Ok
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
31 Mar
DNF
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 16 runners
21 Mar
DNF
Navan
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 12 runners
9 Apr
🏆 Won
Cork
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 18 runners
30 Mar
🏆 Won
Naas
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding_To_Soft · 24 runners
12 Mar
5th
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 21 runners
25 Feb
DNF
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 28 runners
25 Jan
5th
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft_To_Heavy · 19 runners
26 Dec
18th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 23 runners
22 Nov
4th
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 17 runners
30 Oct
10th
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 16 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 |
|---|
| Limerick Galloping |
3 |
3 other |
31 Mar |
0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
25 Feb |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 |
1 win |
30 Mar |
100% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 win |
9 Apr |
100% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
26 Dec |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 |
1 other |
30 Oct |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
21 Mar |
0% |