The Bear Trap
The Bear Trap has spent five years racing without much to show for it — just one win from 23 races. That single victory came at Dundalk on 13 December 2024, a breakthrough moment that also happens to be the most recent time this horse has finished in the money. Since then, nothing. Twenty-two months have passed with only places to its name, most recently running ninth, eleventh, fourth, sixteenth, fifth, and then ninth again across its last six outings. It is still racing, still trying, but The Bear Trap is a horse that plainly struggles to get to the front.Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
Trainer Adrian McGuinness at Lusk, County Dublin, has been working with the horse throughout, and while the yard has sent out 45 winners this season, The Bear Trap is not one of them. Regular jockey Paddy Harnett has ridden it eight times without a win. Distance-wise, the horse runs best over 7 furlongs to a mile — the ideal trip has yielded one win from 14 races, a 7% win rate — but even this narrow sweet spot has not brought recent success. At five years old and still in work, The Bear Trap remains a horse chasing a second career win that may never come.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on standard ground: 1 wins from 7 starts (14%)
✔ Well suited by 7f – 1m distances: 7% win rate
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 9 starts
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Yet to win at The Curragh in 6 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 10 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Standard (all-weather)
Loves
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Avoids
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
12 Oct
9th
Roscommon
7f – 1m · Soft · 15 runners
30 Sep
11th
Bellewstown
7f – 1m · Soft_To_Heavy · 17 runners
18 Sep
4th
Dundalk
7f – 1m · Standard · 17 runners
5 May
16th
The Curragh
7f – 1m · Good · 26 runners
9 Apr
5th
Leopardstown
7f – 1m · Good · 13 runners
13 Dec
🏆 Won
Dundalk
7f – 1m · Standard · 15 runners
13 Nov
7th
Dundalk
7f – 1m · Standard · 15 runners
22 Oct
11th
The Curragh
5f – 6½f · Soft · 15 runners
5 Oct
10th
The Curragh
5f – 6½f · Good · 19 runners
23 Sep
5th
Fairyhouse
7f – 1m · Good · 11 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
7 |
1 win, 1 second, 1 third, 4 other |
18 Sep |
14.3% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
6 |
1 second, 5 other |
5 May |
0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
2 |
2 other |
12 Oct |
0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
2 |
1 second, 1 other |
23 Sep |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
22 Apr |
0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
30 Sep |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 second |
21 May |
0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 |
1 second |
8 Sep |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
9 Apr |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
24 Aug |
0% |