Sporting Hero
Sporting Hero has the look of a horse that finds its level best when conditions are straightforward and the pressure is manageable. The six-year-old has won 10 races from 50 outings — a solid one-in-five win rate that speaks to genuine class without breaking into the elite tier. What stands out most is how the horse performs on normal ground: it has won 9 of its 28 races on standard conditions, a win rate of roughly 32 percent, which is notably better than its overall record. Take that horse off firm, fast ground and onto the heavy stuff, and it tightens up noticeably. This is the kind of pattern that matters in racing, because it tells you exactly when Sporting Hero is dangerous and when it is just making up the numbers.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
📊 Key Numbers
Career statistics for this horse
34%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
🔍 Full Analysis
TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
Recent form has been mixed. The horse raced last just over a day ago and finished sixth, which carries the sting of a near miss — it was twelfth a few runs back and also recently sixth and sixth again. But there is a win buried in there, too. Four months ago, in April, Sporting Hero won at Navan, showing it can still deliver. Nicola Burns, the jockey who has ridden the horse most often, has won 2 of her 7 mounts aboard it — a 29 percent success rate between them, suggesting they work well as a pair. The trainer, William Durkan, runs his yard from Sandyford in County Dublin and has sent out 15 winners this season, so the operation is functioning properly. Sporting Hero typically races in mid-tier competitions and has not yet broken through at the highest level, going zero from four attempts in top-class races. But on normal ground and in the right company, this is a horse that knows how to win.
⚡ Strengths & Risks
What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on standard ground: 9 wins from 28 starts (32%)
✔ Course specialist at Dundalk: 7 wins from 23 starts (30%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 8 starts
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 5 starts
⚠ Yet to win at The Curragh in 8 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 10 starts
🎯 Where This Horse Thrives
Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Standard (all-weather)
Loves
Good to yielding (mild give)
Likes
Good to firm (drying out)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
🏅 Competition Level
Class 3 (mid-level)
Avoids
Class 4 (standard)
Unknown
Class 5 (entry-level)
Unknown
🏟 Track Shape
Left-handed, tight turns
Loves
Left-handed, long straights
Likes
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent Runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
27 Aug
6th
Navan
5f – 6½f · Good · 14 runners
20 Aug
11th
Leopardstown
7f – 1m · Good_To_Yielding · 21 runners
26 May
12th
Dundalk
5f – 6½f · Standard · 13 runners
9 May
13th
Naas
5f – 6½f · Good · 13 runners
25 Apr
🏆 Won
Navan
5f – 6½f · Good_To_Yielding · 17 runners
11 Apr
6th
Bellewstown
5f – 6½f · Soft · 12 runners
1 Apr
10th
Dundalk
5f – 6½f · Standard · 12 runners
20 Mar
🏆 Won
Dundalk
5f – 6½f · Standard · 12 runners
27 Feb
DNF
Dundalk
5f – 6½f · Standard · 11 runners
13 Feb
🏆 Won
Dundalk
5f – 6½f · Standard · 13 runners
🏇 Jockey Partnerships
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
Jamie Orr(10) Current Jockey
🏟 Track Record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
23 |
7 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 11 other |
26 May |
30.4% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
8 |
8 other |
16 Oct |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
3 |
1 win, 2 other |
27 Aug |
33.3% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
3 Nov |
50% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
2 |
1 second, 1 other |
9 Aug |
0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
11 Apr |
0% |
| Naas Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
9 May |
0% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
31 Aug |
100% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
29 Jul |
0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
6 May |
0% |
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
7 Oct |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
14 Jun |
0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
20 May |
0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
13 Sep |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
20 Aug |
0% |