San Andreas

The most recent of those Dundalk wins came on 20 December 2024, which means there has been a 16-month gap since the last victory. The last six runs read 14th, a non-completion, then two second places, a sixth, and a 14th — so there has been both encouragement and frustration in there. The pair of second-place finishes show the horse is still competitive and still placing, which matters. Finishing second pays out and keeps a horse relevant, even if the wins have dried up.

Joseph Patrick O'Brien trains San Andreas out of Owning Hill in County Kilkenny, and his yard has been in exceptional form this season — 153 winners is a serious number that puts him among the most productive operations in Ireland right now. The most regular jockey partnership is with Hugh Horgan, who has ridden the horse in 18 of its races and won just once together — roughly 1 in every 18 rides. That is a modest return, though it says more about the competitive fields San Andreas tends to face than any particular failing.

At the top level — Class 2, some of the better-quality races in Britain — the horse has raced three times and not yet won. Interestingly, over longer distances of a mile and six furlongs up to two miles, the record improves sharply: 1 win from just 3 races, which is 1 in 3. That hints at a horse that may have more to offer when asked to stay further.

San Andreas is not a headline act, but it is a horse that earns its keep, turns up consistently, and knows exactly where it runs best. At ten years old and still racing — raced just yesterday — there is something quietly impressive about that kind of durability. Dundalk has not heard the last of it.