The recent form makes for honest reading. A sixth, a fourth, a fourteenth, and a seventh — nothing catastrophic, nothing brilliant. That fourth-place finish is the closest Hearts And Spades has come to getting competitive, but four races without even sneaking into the top three is a tough start by any measure. The long absence since that last run, now stretching to around fifteen months, raises the obvious question: has something kept this horse off the track, or has it simply needed time? We don't know, but coming back after that kind of break will be a serious test of where things stand.
The trainer, C A Murphy, operates out of Gorey in County Wexford and has sent out 9 winners already this season, so this is a yard that clearly knows how to get a horse ready to perform. If Hearts And Spades does return to racing, it arrives in the care of someone who has been getting results. Whether this particular horse can finally reward that patience is the only question left to answer.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naas Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Dec | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Nov | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 27 Oct | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 30 Nov | 0% |