I Am Spider Man

The really interesting number here is at Sligo, where I Am Spider Man has won twice from just three visits. Winning 2 from 3 at any track is the kind of record that makes people sit up — that's a 67% win rate at that course, against an overall career rate of 9%. Something about that track suits this horse, whether it's the shape of the circuit, the ground conditions they typically get there, or just the fields it tends to attract. The last win there came in July 2024, so it's now been around 25 months since the winning post was last seen first, but that Sligo affinity isn't the sort of thing you forget about.

The partnership with jockey Philip Byrnes is worth noting too. Together they've won 3 of their 14 races — that's roughly 1 win in every 5 rides, a 21% win rate that is more than double what the horse achieves with other riders. That suggests Byrnes has developed a feel for how to get the best out of this one, and when those two line up together, particularly at Sligo, the combination deserves respect.

Recent form shows the horse hasn't won in the last six races, with a latest run just yesterday still showing a blank in the win column. A second place sits in that sequence, so the horse isn't out of it — it's still placing — but getting back to the winner's enclosure would require turning back the clock a little. At Class 4 level, which is where this horse most often runs, it has won 1 from 7 at that grade, or about 1 in every 7 races. Respectable without being dominant. A trip back to Sligo with Byrnes in the saddle would be the obvious combination to watch.