Mallavelly

Trained by G M Lyons at Dunsany in County Meath — a yard that has sent out 50 winners this season alone — Mallavelly first broke its duck at Dundalk in late March 2025, then followed that up with a win at Tipperary in August. Two wins in five months, both on normal ground, which is worth noting: on normal conditions Mallavelly has won 2 of 7 races, a 29% win rate, compared to nothing at all on softer or faster surfaces. That is a clear preference, and one worth remembering when the entries come around.

The jockey partnership with James Ryan looks like a genuine asset. Together they have won 2 of their 5 races — that is 40%, or roughly 2 in every 5 times they team up — which is a striking number. For context, most jockey-horse combinations at this level win far less frequently. When Ryan is in the saddle, Mallavelly tends to run its best race.

The one question mark is the step up in class. In the top-tier races Mallavelly has entered — Class 2 events, among the better races on the Irish circuit — it has drawn a blank in three attempts. That is not unusual for a horse still developing, but it does suggest that for now, Mallavelly is at its most dangerous dropping back into slightly softer company rather than taking on the elite.

The other thing to factor in is the absence. Mallavelly has not raced for roughly six months, a gap that always raises questions about whether a horse will return to the same form or need a run to blow away the cobwebs. The Lyons yard, given the volume of winners it has produced this season, clearly knows how to have a horse ready — but the break is something to watch. If Mallavelly returns sharp, and James Ryan is booked, it would be very foolish to ignore it.