Hartur d'Arc

What makes Hartur d'Arc genuinely interesting is how dramatically its record changes when the ground gets truly wet and muddy. In those conditions, it has won 2 from 5 races — a 40% hit rate. That means if you see heavy rain in the forecast and Hartur d'Arc in the field, you pay attention. Most racehorses have mild preferences; this one has a genuine superpower when the ground turns soft and testing. Finding a horse that loves conditions other runners hate is exactly the kind of edge that makes racing fun to follow.

The career started promisingly enough, with a first win at Cork in April 2022, and the highlight came almost two years later — a win at Naas in March 2024. Since then, though, the wins have dried up. The last six races have brought finishes of 21st, off the board, 12th, off the board, 8th, and off the board again, which suggests the horse is finding it tougher to land a blow at the moment. That Naas win is now 25 months ago, and at nine years old, there is a fair question about whether Hartur d'Arc can recapture that level. Still, the horse raced just yesterday, which tells you it remains active and the team at Stamullen still believes there is something to work with.

That team is trained by John C McConnell, whose yard has been in fine form this season — 42 winners is a serious number and signals a confident, well-run operation. Regular jockey Darragh O'Keeffe has ridden the horse seven times together, winning once, which mirrors the overall career pattern: competitive without being dominant. If McConnell can find a race in genuinely muddy conditions, the combination of a yard firing on all cylinders and a horse that absolutely thrives in the wet could be exactly what it takes to end that 25-month wait.