Notforalongtime

The most remarkable thing about Notforalongtime is what he does at Dundalk. All seven of his career wins have come at that track — seven from 28 races there, meaning he wins roughly 1 in every 4 times he runs at the venue. That is a genuine course obsession, and it is the kind of stat that makes any race at Dundalk immediately interesting when his name is in the draw. It is worth noting, too, that those wins have all come on normal ground conditions, where he has converted 7 of his 28 runs — a 25% win rate that dries up almost entirely elsewhere or in softer conditions.

Hourigan has spoken candidly about the work that went into getting the best out of him, describing a horse who had "lost his way" and needed time and care to be brought back to himself. A switch to cheekpieces made a notable difference, and jockey Wayne Hassett's post-race account of his last fifty yards of prayer before the horse dug deep and put his head down captures the spirit of Notforalongtime perfectly — he is not the most straightforward, but he competes. Mark Enright has ridden him 10 times for 2 wins, a win rate of 20% — roughly 1 in every 5 rides together — suggesting there is a productive partnership developing when the pair link up.

He has not won in his last six races, with recent finishes reading 5th, 10th, 8th, 3rd, 3rd, and 8th, but he only raced yesterday, which tells you his the yard are not short of confidence in his soundness and willingness. His last win came at Dundalk as recently as November 2025 — barely six months ago. For a nine-year-old with a very specific set of preferences, that recent form at his favourite venue suggests the book on Notforalongtime may not be closed just yet.