Grangeclare West

The overall career record tells a strong story in its own right: 5 wins and 7 places from 16 races, meaning it has finished in the top three in nearly 75% of its outings. Across those 16 races it has won roughly 1 in every 3, which puts it comfortably above the average for horses at its level. The first win came at Navan in November 2022, and the most recent — critically — was just five weeks ago at Fairyhouse on 21 February 2026. This is not a horse living on past glories. It is a horse that won last month.

Behind this is one of the most formidable training operations in the sport. W P Mullins, based at Muine Bheag in County Carlow, has sent out 237 winners already this season alone. To put that in perspective, most trainers consider a season with 30 or 40 winners a success. Getting a horse ready to perform at its best is genuinely difficult, and Mullins does it at a scale and consistency that is almost without parallel. When a horse comes out of that yard in form, it commands respect.

The one puzzling thread in the story is the partnership with jockey Brian Hayes. In 7 races together, they have not yet won — 0 from 7. That is not a damning number on its own; plenty of factors influence any individual race, and Hayes is a highly capable rider. But given that Grangeclare West has five career wins to its name, the fact that none have come with Hayes aboard is a curiosity worth noting. The recent form — a win, a fourth, and a third in the last six races — suggests the horse is in a decent place. Whether the ground comes up wet will likely matter more than anything else.