Oogum Boogum

That one career win came at Punchestown on 13 May 2026, and it clearly lit something. Look at the most recent six runs and you see a horse that has quietly transformed: a win, two seconds, and two thirds in that stretch. That is five finishes in the top three from six races, which is a remarkable turnaround for a horse that spent most of its career finishing just outside the prizes. Whatever clicked at Punchestown two months ago, the effect has lingered.

The one puzzle in all this is the partnership with Shane Fitzgerald, who has ridden Oogum Boogum seven times without a win between them — 0 from 7. That does not mean the combination is doomed, but it is a curious thread given how well the horse has been running lately. Someone is clearly getting something right in the saddle; it just has not been that particular pairing so far.

Trainer David Kenneth Budds operates out of Reinduff in Co Waterford, a yard that has sent out two winners this season. It is a modest operation, not one of the big powerful stables with runners everywhere, which makes Oogum Boogum's recent consistency a genuine point of pride. A horse like this, placing repeatedly at 8 years old after a career largely defined by near-misses, is the kind of result that matters at a smaller yard. The horse raced just yesterday and remains active, so this story is still very much being written.