The last six runs tell an encouraging pattern. After a disappointing run six races back, Royal Belief has returned to form with a second, a fifth, a ninth, a tenth, a second again, and just yesterday a sixth. The ups and downs are typical of a horse still finding his feet, but the fact that he keeps turning up and placing regularly — he has finished second twice in his last six outings — shows there is genuine ability in there. Trainer Cian Collins, working from his Navan yard in Co Meath, has had a productive season overall with 20 winners sent out, so Royal Belief has decent support behind him.
What makes Royal Belief worth watching is that narrow band of conditions where he actually delivers. Drop him in over distance, and he becomes a different proposition. A horse that wins roughly one in four times at that trip is not just limping along — he is competitive. At the shorter distances he runs over sometimes, he struggles, which is why getting him back to what clearly suits him is the key. At four years old and still relatively lightly raced, Royal Belief has time to improve, and if his trainer can keep him pointed at the races that play to his strengths, there are more wins to come.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 31 Mar | 50% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
2 | 2 other | 12 Oct | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 4 Feb | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 6 Jun | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 22 Sep | 0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 May | 0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 second | 22 Apr | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Jun | 0% |