The recent form is worth a closer look. After a difficult patch that included finishes of 16th and 8th, Poppycon has bounced back with back-to-back runner-up finishes, and raced just yesterday, which means it is bang in form and being kept busy. That turnaround from the back of the field to placing twice in a row suggests the horse is finding its feet, or at least finding the right opportunities. The question now is whether a step forward to an outright win is coming.
Phillip Enright has been in the saddle for five of those seven races and has yet to ride Poppycon to a win, but the partnership clearly hasn't been abandoned — if anything, the consistency of the booking suggests there is belief in what this horse can do. Trainer Eoin Doyle operates out of Mooncoin in County Kilkenny and has sent out two winners this season. It's a modest yard in terms of numbers, which makes placing horses in the right spots all the more important — and keeping Poppycon active and placing suggests Doyle knows what he has and is managing it carefully.
At six years old with no wins yet, Poppycon is not a horse rewriting record books. But racing is full of horses that take time to find their moment, and the recent form — placed, then placed again, then back out racing the very next day — has the feel of a yard that senses something might be about to click.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tramore Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 19 Apr | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 29 Jan | 0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 17 Mar | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 30 May | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 12 Jul | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 Feb | 0% |