What keeps Roi Mage interesting is the resilience. Five places from those 14 races suggest a horse that turns up and tries, even if the winning feeling has become something of a distant memory. The recent form shows a mixed picture — a couple of placed efforts sandwiched around some less encouraging runs — and with a race just yesterday, this is clearly a horse still being kept busy and still in the game at an age when many have long since retired.
The step up to Class 1 company, the top level of British racing, has proven a bridge too far. Four attempts at that level have produced nothing, which is perhaps unsurprising — these are the best races around, and for a horse with a single career win, holding your own is about as much as can be asked. Trainer Patrick Griffin, based in Oldtown just north of Dublin, has had a quiet season with just one winner sent out, so Roi Mage carries the hopes of a small yard doing its best in competitive waters. Whether another win comes before the career draws to a close is the open question — but at 14, still racing, still placing, Roi Mage has clearly got a stubbornness about it that is hard not to admire.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down Royal Galloping |
4 | 1 win, 3 seconds | 17 Mar | 25% |
| Aintree Galloping |
4 | 4 other | 6 Dec | 0% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 12 Mar | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 1 Jan | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 10 Jul | 0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 19 Feb | 0% |