The recent form makes for interesting reading. In the last six races, Snow Punt has posted two runner-up finishes either side of a couple of missed runs, which suggests the horse is in reasonable shape and competitive enough at its level. Finishing second is obviously not winning, but doing it twice in a recent run of form indicates the horse is at least putting itself in contention when it shows up. The missed runs in that sequence are worth keeping an eye on — horses that take short breaks mid-season sometimes come back freshened up, and Snow Punt last raced just 17 days ago, so it is clearly being kept busy.
The trainer is Brendan Maurice Walsh, operating out of Doneraile in County Cork. The yard has sent out three winners this season, which is modest but shows the operation is capable of getting a horse to the line first. Walsh has kept Snow Punt active and placed — no small thing with a nine-year-old — and the two recent second-place finishes suggest the horse is being aimed at races where it belongs rather than being thrown in out of its depth. Whether Walsh can finally find Snow Punt that elusive first win is the question. At nine, time is not exactly on its side, but horses that finish second with regularity are horses that are genuinely competitive, and competitive horses can surprise you on the right day.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick Galloping |
5 | 2 seconds, 1 third, 2 other | 12 Mar | 0% |
| Clonmel Sharp |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 2 Apr | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 15 May | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 3 Jan | 0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Jan | 0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 11 Nov | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 25 Nov | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 28 Oct | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 5 Feb | 0% |