Sixpack

Both of his wins came on normal ground, from a total of 7 races in those conditions — that is a 29% win rate, or roughly 2 in every 7, which is a genuinely impressive conversion compared to the rest of his record. He is also a horse who needs room to stretch his legs: his best results come at distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where he has won 2 of his 11 races (18%). When things fall right — a decent pace, a clear run, enough trip — he is clearly capable.

His regular partner, Ben Coen, was on board for both of those wins and has spoken about how much Sixpack needs things to go smoothly. After the first win at Roscommon in May 2024, Coen described a race that finally went to plan: an even gallop, a gap when he needed it, and the horse staying on well to the line. The second win followed at Fairyhouse the following month. Since then, though, the wins have dried up, and his recent run of results — finishing third, fourth, seventh, eighth, fifth, and second in his last six outings — paints the picture of a horse knocking on the door without quite getting through it.

Trainer James Owen, who bought Sixpack from celebrated Irish horseman Johnny Murtagh and bases the horse at his Newmarket yard, clearly has real affection for him. Owen has spoken about wanting to target the better Saturday staying races and has openly floated the idea of sending Sixpack jumping in the future — a hint that there may be a new chapter ahead for a horse who has perhaps not yet found his best stage. Owen's yard has sent out 201 winners this season, so this is a team that knows how to get the best from a horse. Whether Sixpack can finally add to his tally on the flat, or whether fences are the making of him, is one of the more intriguing questions surrounding him right now.