Ol Man Dingle

At seven years old, Ol Man Dingle is in the prime of his racing life, and his recent form suggests he is in terrific shape right now. His last six races read 1-3-–-11-5-1: two wins bookending a couple of quieter efforts, which is exactly the kind of pattern that tells you a horse is competitive more often than not. He won at Kilbeggan just this week, so he goes into the record books as a horse currently in form — racing yesterday and winning this season.

The ground is a key part of his story. On slightly soft ground — conditions after a spell of rain but before it gets really heavy — he has won 3 of just 4 races, a 75% win rate. On soft ground proper, he has won 2 from 3, which is 67%. Put simply, when the ground is wet, Ol Man Dingle is one of the most dangerous horses in his grade. He clearly loves the feel of a soft surface beneath him, and any trainer worth their salt will be targeting races after the rain has fallen.

His partnership with jockey Ricky Doyle is one of the most productive in the yard. Together they have raced 13 times and won 5, which works out at 38% — winning well over 1 in every 3 races they've contested as a pair. That kind of consistency between horse and rider builds into something genuinely valuable: Doyle knows this horse, and this horse clearly responds to him.

Trainer Eoin Griffin, based in Slieverue in County Kilkenny, has sent out 8 winners this season alone, and Ol Man Dingle is clearly a big part of that tally. Griffin's yard appears to have this horse in exactly the right groove at exactly the right time. If the forecast says rain, he is absolutely one to watch.