Mary's Pride

The first career win came at Fairyhouse in December 2022, and the most recent at Tipperary in July 2024. That gap of nearly two years between wins is the most pressing storyline right now. Six races without a victory, with recent form reading 10-7-2-13-8-3, paints a mixed picture — a second place and a third in there show the ability is still present, but so are a couple of double-figure finishes that suggest things do not always fall right.

Kieren Buckley has been the regular partner in the saddle, riding Mary's Pride in 5 races together and winning 1 of them — a 20% win rate, or 1 from every 5 rides together, which is actually a better return than the horse's overall career average. That is worth noting. When Buckley is aboard, the combination has clicked more reliably than the broader record might suggest.

Trainer Edward Cawley operates out of Batterstown in County Meath and has sent out 3 winners already this season, so the yard is in working order. The fact that Mary's Pride raced just one day ago means this is a horse being kept busy and in the routine of racing. Whether that relentless schedule is the route back to the winner's enclosure remains to be seen, but Cawley clearly believes there is a race to be won with this horse somewhere down the line. Given what happened at Tipperary 25 months ago, he may well be right.