Small Bucks

The two wins share a clear pattern. Both came on normal ground conditions, and both came over long distances of two miles or more. On normal ground over two miles-plus, Small Bucks has won 2 of 11 races — that 18% win rate in those specific conditions is notably better than the overall career average, and it tells you something useful: this is a horse that needs things to go just right, but when they do, it delivers. Soft or muddy ground, shorter trips, or fast dry conditions? The record there is essentially blank when it comes to winning.

The yard behind Small Bucks is P E Collins, based in Bessbrook, Co Down — a small operation that has sent out four winners this season. That modest output makes each winner feel genuinely earned rather than inevitable, and it adds a little extra weight to Small Bucks contributing two of them within the space of a few days. First was a win at Cork in July 2025, then this week's success at Downpatrick — the second a local track for the yard and one where a win will have been warmly celebrated.

One relationship worth watching is the one with regular jockey Patrick M O'Brien, who has ridden Small Bucks five times without a win between them. Interestingly, neither of the horse's two career victories came with O'Brien in the saddle — so someone else has been in place for the winning moments. Whether that changes going forward remains to be seen, but it's the kind of small detail that racing people tend to notice. With the horse clearly in form right now and suited by the long-distance trips that fill the calendar at this time of year, Small Bucks is worth keeping an eye on.