The most striking aspect of Heliogabalus's recent form is how little he has had to show for his efforts. In his last six races, stretching back to that Leopardstown success, he has returned 13th, 11th, 6th, 1st, 13th, and 13th—the single top-three finish tucked in the middle of a sequence of struggles. That recent 6th place is the closest he has come to the podium in the two months since his win. He races for trainer Sean Byrne's yard at Athy in County Kildare, a small operation that has sent out just two winners all season, which puts into context how rare a victory truly is in this stable.
Shane Foley has been Heliogabalus's regular pilot, riding the horse seven times for a single win—a win rate of 14 per cent—which is marginally better than the horse's overall record but hardly a glowing partnership. At five years old, Heliogabalus is entering the age where racehorses either establish themselves as reliable members of the frame or drift towards the lower rungs of racing. This horse sits somewhere between those poles: good enough to win occasionally, but far from consistent enough to be a banker bet. His first win came at Galway on 29 July 2025, nearly a year before his breakthrough at Leopardstown suggests his progress has been stuttering and uncertain throughout.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leopardstown Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 9 Jul | 33.3% |
| Galway Tight |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 28 Jul | 50% |
| Navan Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 8 Apr | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 24 Jun | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 16 Jul | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 22 Sep | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 15 Sep | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Aug | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 11 Jun | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 22 May | 0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 17 Jun | 0% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 27 Oct | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 4 Jul | 0% |