I'm Spartacus

Trained by Adrian McGuinness out of Lusk in County Dublin, the five-year-old is part of a yard that has been in fine form, sending out 45 winners already this season. That is a serious number, and it tells you McGuinness knows how to place his horses — finding the right race at the right time. I'm Spartacus is a decent example of that skill in action. He wins roughly 1 in every 8 races overall (13%), but on normal ground that figure sharpens considerably: 5 wins from 24 races, or just over 1 in 5. The simple lesson is that when the track is riding well, he is a different proposition.

The most striking number in his record is at Newcastle, where he has won 2 of just 4 visits. That is a 50% win rate at a single track — a statistic that would make any knowledgeable punter sit up. It was also where his career began in earnest, with his first win arriving there on 3 August 2023. Some horses just take to a place, the way some people are always at their best in a particular city, and Newcastle seems to suit I'm Spartacus down to the ground.

His partnership with jockey Adam Caffrey is worth noting. The two have raced together 24 times — nearly half the horse's entire career — and Caffrey has ridden him to 4 of those 7 wins, a rate of roughly 1 in every 6 rides together. That kind of familiarity matters. A jockey who knows a horse's quirks and tendencies is an advantage that does not always show up in the numbers.

He is not a horse chasing glory in the biggest races — he operates mainly at the lower end of the racing ladder, where he has won 2 from 6, or 1 in every 3 races. But he is a horse in form. His most recent win came at Fairyhouse just five weeks ago, and he raced again only yesterday. Whatever I'm Spartacus lacks in star quality, he more than makes up for in attitude.