Littlefoot

The headline figure is what happens when the ground is wet. On soft or muddy ground, Littlefoot has won 2 of just 3 races — that is a two-in-three record, and in racing terms that is extraordinary. Most horses show mild preferences; this one transforms. It is the kind of stat that makes you wonder how many runs over the years were simply wasted on the wrong conditions.

The recent form backs that up. In the last six races, Littlefoot has two wins — and those results sit either side of a couple of quiet efforts that are easily explained away. The most recent victory came at Kilbeggan eight weeks ago, and the horse has raced just once since, finishing fifth. That run is recent enough to be encouraging rather than worrying, especially for a yard that has sent out four winners already this season and clearly has things ticking over.

Liam McKenna has been in the saddle for 11 of those 22 career races and has managed 1 win together, which is roughly 1 in every 11 — a fairly lean return on its own. But that partnership has been built over time, and McKenna will know this horse's quirks as well as anyone. Littlefoot's first career win came at Ballinrobe in August 2024, so there is less than two years of winning form to build on, which makes the progress since — including that Kilbeggan success in May — feel like genuine momentum rather than a lucky streak.

At eight years old, Littlefoot is not a horse anyone is looking to develop for the future. But that is not the point. The point is finding the right race, waiting for the rain, and letting a horse do what it does best. When those things line up, Molloy's team have shown they can deliver.