What makes that Dundalk win worth paying attention to is the distance. Over longer trips — between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — Syosset has won 1 of just 3 races, which works out at 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3. That is a dramatically better picture than the overall career figures suggest, and it points firmly to a horse that needs time and space to find its stride. Over shorter distances, it simply has not happened. The longer the race, the more dangerous Syosset becomes.
The horse is trained by John C McConnell, based at Stamullen in County Meath, and the yard has been in fine form this season — 44 winners sent out, which is a serious operation by any measure. Having a horse like Syosset in a yard that clearly knows how to place and prepare runners is an advantage. The team will have noted what worked at Dundalk and will be looking to repeat the conditions that produced it.
Last raced 23 days ago and still actively campaigning, Syosset is a horse in mid-season. The overall career record is unspectacular, but strip away the wrong distances and wrong tracks, and you find a horse that wins roughly 1 in 3 when things are set up right. That is a very different animal to what the headline numbers suggest — and in racing, knowing the difference is everything.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
4 | 1 win, 1 third, 2 other | 6 Mar | 25% |
| Downpatrick Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 19 Sep | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 13 Sep | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 30 Aug | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 22 Sep | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Sep | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 13 Oct | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 27 Aug | 0% |