Granite Bay

Ronan Whelan has ridden Granite Bay more than anyone else — 13 times — and done noticeably better than the overall record suggests. Together they have three wins from 13 races, a win rate of about 1 in 4, which is markedly stronger than the horse's general form. That gap hints that the horse goes well for this particular rider, or perhaps runs better when conditions suit. Speaking of which, Granite Bay absolutely thrives on normal ground: it has won 2 of 4 races on such surfaces, a 50% win rate that stands out sharply against its overall record. On faster or softer going, the horse struggles to fire.

The horse's best distance appears to be around the 1m3f to 1m4f range, where it has won once from four attempts. Its sole recent victory came at Listowel on 24 September 2024 — nearly two years ago now — and since then it has been unable to recapture that winning touch. Trained by Jarlath P Fahey from Monasterevín in County Kildare, Granite Bay remains active, having raced just a day ago. The yard itself is modest: only three winners sent out this season. Granite Bay is the kind of horse that on its day, particularly on normal ground, with Whelan in the saddle, and at the right distance, has genuine winning form — but consistency has eluded it, and that long gap without a win will need to be broken soon.