Ishan

At eight years old, Ishan has built a career record of 3 wins and 7 places from 24 races — winning roughly 1 in every 8, which is modest on the surface. But the headline number hides something more interesting. On wet, muddy ground, he has won 2 of his 8 races — that is 1 in every 4, more than double his usual rate. Heavy conditions suit him in a way that dry tracks simply do not, and any trainer worth their salt keeps that in mind when planning his season. The yard at Cashel in Co. Tipperary, which has already sent out 14 winners this season, clearly knows what they have on their hands.

What really sets Ishan apart is his record at Limerick. Two wins from just four races there is a remarkable return — that is 1 in every 2, a coin-flip level of dominance that most horses never come close to at any track across their entire career. Limerick in the depths of winter tends to throw up soft, testing conditions, which probably explains why the two things — that course and that ground — overlap so neatly in his record. His jockey Phillip Enright has been along for most of the journey, riding him in 20 of his 24 races and picking up all 3 wins together, a partnership that clearly works.

The honest part of the picture is that Ishan has not won in six races, and his last victory came at Limerick on 28 December 2023 — now over two years ago. His recent form reads 3rd, pulled up, 8th, 10th, 6th, and 12th, which is not the profile of a horse in the form of his life. But he raced just 17 days ago, so he is fit and active. The question is not really whether Ishan can win again — it is whether the stars align: Limerick, a wet winter's day, and a small enough field. When they have before, he has delivered.