Preparations

What stands out is how well Preparations performs when the race is truly demanding. Over long distances — anything above two miles — it has won 1 from 3, which is a 33% win rate and a genuinely impressive conversion for a horse at this level. That kind of stamina-based performance suggests Preparations is the sort of runner that needs a real test to show its best. Shorter trips may simply not ask it the right questions.

The most recent win came at Limerick on 10 April 2025, and the first career win was at Bellewstown back in October 2024 — so both victories arrived within a fairly tight window, which is worth noting. Since then, the last six runs read 13th, 4th, 7th, 10th, a pull-up, and 6th, which tells a story of a horse that has found winning form hard to rediscover. The 4th place is a small glimmer, but the overall picture is one of a horse searching for its moment.

Andrew Slattery does the dual job here, both training and riding Preparations — and together they have won 1 from 8 races, or about 1 in every 8. That's a modest combined record, though it's worth noting that Slattery's yard has sent out 62 winners this season, which speaks to genuine capability on the training side. Preparations raced just yesterday, so it is very much in active campaign — and with its best work coming over two miles or more, the right race on the right day could yet bring another win into the picture.