Thomas Mullins trains this one out of Goresbridge in Co Kilkenny, a yard that has sent out two winners so far this season. Mullins is not a name that dominates the big headlines, but he is a trainer who clearly knows what he has here. Tropical Retreat got off the mark at Dundalk in February 2025, and then did something rather harder to pull off — winning at The Curragh in August. The Curragh is Ireland's most prestigious flat track, home to its biggest races, so getting a winner there is never a small thing.
The ground tells a clear story with this horse. On normal conditions, Tropical Retreat has won 2 of 5 races — a 40% win rate that is exceptional by any measure. That is roughly 2 in every 5 starts on good ground resulting in a victory, which any trainer would be delighted with. When conditions deviate from that sweet spot, the results have been more modest, suggesting the team will always be watching the weather forecast carefully before committing to a run.
What gives pause is the recent form. The last six runs read 11-11-10-22-1-4 from most recent back, which means two last-place finishes and a second-to-last have followed what looked like a career-high moment at The Curragh. That August win was 11 months ago, and the horse has not threatened to add to it since. Whether that is ground, a dip in form, or simply the level of competition stepping up is hard to say, but it is the question anyone watching Tropical Retreat will have in mind. Crucially, the horse raced just one day ago — so it is very much in active campaign, and the team clearly has not given up on finding the conditions that bring out the best in this one.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Curragh Galloping |
4 | 1 win, 3 other | 16 Oct | 25% |
| Dundalk Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 31 Oct | 33.3% |
| Naas Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 4 Aug | 33.3% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 1 Jul | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 20 May | 0% |