Flying Fortress

The horse's most recent win came at Listowel on 22 September 2025, over eleven months ago, which raises an immediate question: Flying Fortress has gone without a victory in his last six races, despite being raced consistently. His form over those six runs reads 4-2-–-14-5-10 — a fourth place and a second place sandwiching a couple of mid-field finishes and a pair of well-beaten runs. He raced just one day ago, so the yard are clearly still looking for another winning opportunity, but the drought suggests he may have dipped slightly in ability or simply lacks the engine to get his head in front at the moment. His first win came at Ballinrobe on 9 May 2025, and both victories came when the distances were between a mile and a furlong and a mile and two furlongs — ground where he has won 2 of 11 races, a much stronger 18% win rate that shows he is not a complete one-trick horse, but that those middle distances suit him best.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell, based at Navan, runs a busy and successful yard that has sent out 96 winners this season, so Flying Fortress is part of a outfit with genuine winning form. Gary Carroll, who rides the horse most often, has steered him to one win in six races together — a 17% win rate that is slightly better than the horse's overall figures, which could suggest the pair have some affinity. The real concern is that Flying Fortress tends to struggle when stepped up to Class 4 company, where he has won none from four attempts, and his long absence from the winner's enclosure suggests he may simply be plying his trade at a level where he finds it difficult to win.