Princess Child
Princess Child has finally broken through where it matters most. The five-year-old won at Naas this week—her third career victory in 20 races—but more importantly, she has secured what her trainer
Joseph Patrick O'Brien calls "a whole load of black type": a string of placed finishes in top-level races that, until now, she could never quite convert to a win. Her recent form tells the story. After finishing second in the Express Stakes behind the highly regarded Celestial Orbit, she stepped up to stakes company at Tipperary and delivered. O'Brien, based at Owning Hill in County Kilkenny and one of the busiest yards in Britain and Ireland this season with 160 winners already, has been aggressive in campaigning her, and it has paid off. She described the Tipperary victory as a career best and spoke of her newfound confidence—the kind that comes from finally getting your head in front when it counts.
Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
What makes Princess Child genuinely interesting is her love of wet ground. She wins roughly one in every three races on soft or muddy terrain, having won two of her six starts on such ground. That preference became crucial this week at Naas, where she thrived in conditions that suit her. She has been ridden more often by Declan McDonogh than anyone else, but their partnership has not clicked; they have raced together seven times without a win. Her breakthrough win came back in August at Galway, where jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle felt the race was never in doubt once they hit the front—"they were paddling in front," he said, with the confidence of someone knowing he had the best horse in a fight.
At 15 per cent win rate from her 20 races, Princess Child is no superstar, but she is a professional. Solid, improving with time, and now a winner at the level that matters. The next question is whether she can build on this and develop into something more.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 2 wins from 6 starts (33%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 6 starts
⚠ Yet to win at The Curragh in 6 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 8 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Yielding (slightly soft)
Likes
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Avoids
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, tight
Loves
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
11 Oct
🏆 Won
Naas
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft · 16 runners
4 Oct
2nd
The Curragh
7f – 1m · Soft · 10 runners
12 Sep
6th
Leopardstown
1m1f – 1m2f · Good · 10 runners
30 Aug
6th
Cork
7f – 1m · Yielding · 14 runners
14 Aug
11th
Cork
7f – 1m · Good · 12 runners
10 May
DNF
Leopardstown
7f – 1m · Good · 10 runners
3 Apr
2nd
The Curragh
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft · 10 runners
28 Mar
7th
The Curragh
7f – 1m · Soft_To_Heavy · 10 runners
31 Aug
🏆 Won
Tipperary
7f – 1m · Yielding · 11 runners
3 Aug
🏆 Won
Galway
7f – 1m · Soft · 18 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| The Curragh Galloping |
6 |
2 seconds, 4 other |
4 Oct |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
3 |
1 win, 2 seconds |
3 Aug |
33.3% |
| Naas Galloping |
2 |
1 win, 1 third |
11 Oct |
50% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
30 Aug |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
12 Sep |
0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 |
1 win |
31 Aug |
100% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 second |
23 Aug |
0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 |
1 second |
24 Sep |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
7 Jun |
0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
7 May |
0% |