The Great Unknown
Seven races, no wins, and a 16-month absence from the track — on paper, The Great Unknown is a horse that raises more questions than it answers. The five-year-old has managed two placed finishes from its seven races, never quite getting its nose in front, and hasn't raced since finishing fifth some 505 days ago. That's a long time to be away from competition, and when a horse returns after that kind of break, nobody really knows what to expect. The name, it turns out, feels entirely appropriate.Based on TrackLab's analysis
Owner
Mrs John Magnier & Mrs Paul Shanahan
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
What makes this horse worth watching is who has it saddled. Henry De Bromhead's yard at Knockeen in County Waterford is one of the most respected operations in racing, and this season alone it has sent out 106 winners — a remarkable volume that speaks to a team at the very top of its game. De Bromhead doesn't tend to waste entries. If The Great Unknown turns up on a racecourse after such a lengthy spell off, it's a reasonable assumption that something interesting is expected.
The recent form figures — 5, 2, 11, 3, 4, 5 reading from most recent back — tell the story of a horse that has been frustratingly inconsistent. That second place is a flicker of ability in there, but the 11th suggests there have been days when things went badly wrong. Whether those issues were fitness, ground, circumstances, or simply a horse that needed more time to develop is impossible to say. After 16 months off the track, this is almost a fresh start. Whoever follows The Great Unknown back to the racecourse will essentially be watching a debut all over again.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Returning from a 505-day absence
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Good to yielding (mild give)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
9 Nov
5th
Gowran Park
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 16 runners
6 Oct
2nd
Killarney
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 12 runners
16 Aug
11th
Tramore
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 16 runners
26 Apr
3rd
Downpatrick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
4 Apr
4th
Naas
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft_To_Heavy · 20 runners
12 Jan
5th
Naas
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 25 runners
9 Dec
5th
Navan
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 26 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 |
|---|
| Naas Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
4 Apr |
0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 |
1 other |
9 Nov |
0% |
| Downpatrick Undulating |
1 |
1 third |
26 Apr |
0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
9 Dec |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
1 |
1 second |
6 Oct |
0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
16 Aug |
0% |