Lord Lariat

The highlights are rooted firmly at Fairyhouse, an Irish track that clearly suits Lord Lariat. Both recorded wins on the career CV came there — the first in November 2021, the second in April 2022 — and there is something pleasing about a horse finding a home track it genuinely clicks with. That said, the last of those wins came 48 months ago now, and the recent form makes for sobering reading: finishing 8th, pulled up, 16th, 11th, 10th, and pulled up across the last six outings tells the story of a horse that is finding it harder and harder to get competitive. Two of those six runs ended without completing the course, which is never a good sign.

P J O'Hanlon has been the regular partner in the saddle, the pair teaming up 13 times together. Two wins from those 13 races — winning roughly 1 in every 6 — mirrors the overall career picture fairly closely, suggesting a genuine working partnership rather than a combination that sparks anything extra. The horse is trained by Dermot A McLoughlin out of Bodeen in Ratoath, County Meath, a yard that has been in decent nick this season with 10 winners sent out — so the operation clearly knows what it is doing. Whether Lord Lariat can add to those numbers is the question.

Raced just one day ago, Lord Lariat is nothing if not active. At 11, every race feels like a bonus, and the fact the team keeps running him suggests they believe there is still something left in the tank. The career earnings and level of race suggest this is a horse that has competed at a solid, honest level without ever threatening the very top tier. Whether that elusive fourth win ever comes, Fairyhouse feels like the most likely place to find it — if it comes at all.