The headline number is modest — a win rate of around 9%, or roughly 1 win in every 11 races — but dig a little deeper and there is something genuinely interesting here. At Sligo, a compact track on Ireland's west coast, I Am Spider Man transforms. Two wins from just three races there amounts to winning two out of every three times it turns up, which is a remarkable record for any horse. Most racehorses never find a track that suits them quite that well. Sligo clearly suits this one.
The partnership with jockey Philip Byrnes is another bright spot. Together, they have won 3 of their 14 races — a win rate of 21%, or just over 1 in every 5 rides. That is more than double I Am Spider Man's overall rate, which strongly suggests the two work well together and that Byrnes understands how to get the best from the horse.
Barry John Murphy, training out of Caerfyrddin in Carmarthenshire, has sent out 2 winners this season from his yard. It is a small operation, and a winner clearly means something when it arrives. The first career win came at Sedgefield in October 2022, and the most recent at Sligo in July 2024 — now 24 months ago. That gap, combined with six races without a win, means I Am Spider Man is in a lean spell right now. The recent form — finishing seventh, third, third, second, seventh — shows the places are still coming, but the wins have dried up.
What makes this horse worth watching is simple: it raced just one day ago and is clearly still active and competitive. A horse that places regularly, has a jockey who brings out its best, and an almost freakish record at one particular track is never truly out of the conversation. If I Am Spider Man ends up back at Sligo, it would be foolish to look the other way.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downpatrick Undulating |
4 | 4 other | 10 May | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
3 | 2 wins, 1 other | 7 Jul | 66.7% |
| Tramore Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 16 Aug | 0% |
| Sedgefield Sharp |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 23 Sep | 50% |
| Taunton Undulating |
2 | 2 other | 30 Dec | 0% |
| Newton Abbot Sharp |
2 | 1 second, 1 third | 23 Jun | 0% |
| Cartmel Tight |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 27 May | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 18 Dec | 0% |
| Ffos Las Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 12 Apr | 0% |
| Market Rasen Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 5 Jul | 0% |
| Kelso Undulating |
1 | 1 third | 12 Sep | 0% |
| hereford | 1 | 1 other | 3 Nov | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 28 Aug | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Nov | 0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 11 May | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 2 Jun | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 4 Aug | 0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 28 Dec | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 28 May | 0% |