Spy

What makes Spy genuinely interesting right now is the recent upturn in form. Over the last six races, the horse has won twice and finished in the top two on three occasions. That is a sharp improvement on the overall career picture, and it suggests Spy is hitting a productive patch at seven years old — an age when plenty of horses are starting to wind down rather than find another gear. The most recent win came at Listowel just five weeks ago, and with a race as recently as yesterday, this is a horse very much in the middle of an active campaign.

The numbers get more compelling when you dig into the conditions Spy prefers. On normal ground, the horse has won 2 from 9 races — a 22% win rate, roughly 1 in every 4-and-a-half outings. That same 22% figure appears again at distances between a mile and a furlong and a mile and two furlongs, Spy's clear sweet spot. Put this horse on a good surface at the right trip, and you are suddenly looking at a very different proposition from the headline 12% career figure. At the level Spy typically competes at, that conversion rate of 2 wins from just 5 races — 40% — is exceptional. Win 2 out of every 5 races at any level and people start to notice.

Spy is trained by C Byrnes at Ballingarry in County Limerick, a yard that has sent out 26 winners already this season — a serious volume of success that suggests a well-run operation. Philip Byrnes, who rides Spy most often, has partnered the horse in 13 of its races for 1 win together, but the horse's recent wins show it can perform with others in the saddle too. The first career win came at Wolverhampton back in March 2022, and the journey since has been steady rather than spectacular — but right now, Spy looks to be running some of the best races of its life.