Racing Royalty

The two wins it does have, though, came in a purple patch that will live long in the memory of Gillian Scott's yard in Ballingarry. Racing Royalty won first at Listowel in September 2023, then stepped up to The Curragh — one of Ireland's most prestigious tracks — and won there the following month. That is a serious piece of form. The Curragh is where reputations are made, and landing a winner there at any point in a career is something to be proud of. The trouble is, that was 33 months ago, and Racing Royalty has not won since.

The recent form makes for sobering reading: finishing fifth, seventh, ninth, ninth, third, and fifth in its last six races. That ninth-ninth run in the middle of the sequence is the kind of thing that tests a trainer's patience, though Scott's yard has kept the horse active — it raced just yesterday, which shows there is still belief that a good day is possible. Three winners sent out by the yard this season suggests things are ticking along, and Racing Royalty remains part of the picture.

Jockey W J Lee has been the most regular partner, riding the horse in 10 of its 26 races and being on board for both wins. That is a win rate of 20% together — roughly 1 in every 5 when the pair are paired up — which is a significantly better return than the overall career average. Whether that partnership clicks again is the question. Racing Royalty is seven years old now, not ancient but past the stage where dramatic improvement tends to arrive. What you see is largely what you get. The hope, for everyone involved, is that a track, a day, and a set of conditions line up just right — the way they did at The Curragh back in October 2023 — and remind everyone what this horse is capable of on its best day.