There is a real strength hiding in King Ferdinand's record, though. On slightly soft or wet ground, he becomes a different proposition entirely — he has won 3 of his 7 races on such conditions, a win rate of roughly 43 percent. Even more striking is his love of Tipperary, where he has won 2 of 3 races. These are the kind of specifics that matter to a trainer and the yard piecing together a plan for an aging horse: when conditions suit and the track suits, King Ferdinand still has something to offer. His regular jockey, Michael O'Sullivan, has partnered him nine times for just one win, suggesting no great magic between horse and rider, though that single victory is still a positive thread.
At the higher end of the scale, King Ferdinand struggles. In Class 5 races — the middle tier of competitive jumping — he has won just 1 of 5. The yard itself has sent out four winners this season, so O'Sullivan knows how to prepare a horse to win. For King Ferdinand, now in his eleventh year of racing, the window for those occasional triumphs is narrowing, but on the right day, in the right conditions, at Tipperary perhaps, there is still a race in him.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cork Galloping |
7 | 2 seconds, 5 other | 3 Aug | 0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
5 | 1 win, 1 second, 3 other | 4 Oct | 20% |
| Thurles Undulating |
4 | 1 win, 3 other | 29 Nov | 25% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
3 | 2 wins, 1 other | 4 Jul | 66.7% |
| Listowel Sharp |
3 | 3 other | 26 Sep | 0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 12 Feb | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
2 | 2 other | 9 Sep | 0% |
| Huntingdon Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 6 Mar | 100% |
| Bangor-on-Dee Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 26 Oct | 0% |
| Wetherby Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 31 Mar | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Dec | 0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 2 Mar | 0% |