Iron Sword

The horse has been in a streak of racing lately and has won twice in its last four outings. Just this week, on 26 September, Iron Sword won at Listowel, following an earlier victory at Ballinrobe back on 11 September. Between those wins came a third-place finish, then a fifth — so the form is a bit of a mixed picture, but the wins are happening often enough and recently enough to count for something real. Most tellingly, Iron Sword raced just a day ago and is still active on the track, which means the horse is being campaigned hard by the yard who clearly believe it has more to give.

Trainer A. Slattery, based at Thurles in Co Tipperary, has a strong yard — they've sent out 62 winners already this season, so there's genuine depth there. That kind of volume suggests a well-run operation, and the fact that Iron Sword sits near the top of the form speaks to how well it's being handled. For a horse winning half its races in a competitive environment, that's the sort of partnership — horse and trainer — worth keeping an eye on.