The Goffer

The numbers that really stand out are the ones tied to wet ground. On soft or muddy going, The Goffer has won 3 of his 5 races — a remarkable 60% record that tells you almost everything you need to know about where he thrives. He has also made Thurles his personal stomping ground, winning 2 of his 3 races there. For a horse with a modest overall record, those two facts suggest he is not so much limited as specific — point him at the right race in the right conditions and he becomes a very different proposition.

The challenge has been finding those conditions at the highest level. The Goffer has run 7 times in Class 1 company — the top races in Britain and Ireland — without a win. That is not a disgrace; those races are the deepest pools in the sport. But his recent form tells a more encouraging story. Finishing second and then fourth in his last few outings, including a run Elliott described as thrilling behind Vanillier at Punchestown, suggests the horse is in decent fettle even without a win since February 2024.

Elliott has been clear about where he sees The Goffer heading. After a run at Cheltenham, he pointed to the Irish National at Fairyhouse as the logical next step — a long, stamina-testing race that suits a horse who, as Elliott put it, just keeps galloping. After an earlier run at Leopardstown on drying ground, the trainer was already talking in the same terms, noting that in big long-distance races you have to commit fully and back the horse's ability to stay. The Goffer, it seems, has that quality in abundance.

Jack Kennedy has ridden him 7 times, winning once together. With Elliott's yard sending out 210 winners this season alone, the support and resources are there. Whether The Goffer can translate those galloping qualities into a win at the Irish National is the question — but on wet ground, over a long trip, this is not a horse to dismiss.