Trained by E McNamara out of Rathkeale in County Limerick, the horse is part of a yard that has been in good nick this season, sending out 22 winners. That kind of output suggests a stable that knows how to place its horses well and keep them sharp, so the fact that Illtakehimmyself keeps threatening without delivering probably says more about the competitiveness of the races it has been entering than any lack of ability. Horses that place repeatedly are often on the cusp of breaking through — they understand their job, they run honest races, and they just need the right opportunity to fall their way.
With no wins from eight races, the win rate is currently zero, which sounds brutal in isolation. But two second places and a third from eight attempts means it has earned a cheque — and finished in the top three — more than a third of the time. That is not a horse drifting through races without impact; it is a horse that competes. It raced just one day ago, so it is very much in the thick of a current campaign, and with that sequence of placed finishes building momentum, a first win feels closer now than it has at any point in its career.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick Galloping |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 2 Jul | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 30 May | 0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 27 Oct | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 7 Dec | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 6 Oct | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 13 May | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 20 Nov | 0% |