War Correspondent

Based at John Joseph Hanlon's yard in County Carlow, War Correspondent has been a regular sight on the track, and recent form suggests it remains competitive. Its last win came at Wexford on 23 July 2025, fourteen months ago, which is a long drought by any measure. Since then, its last six races have yielded two places but mostly mid-field finishes, the kind of results that would tempt some people to retire a horse but that Hanlon, who has sent out eleven winners this season, clearly still sees potential in. The horse raced just yesterday, which means it is still very much in active work.

The one consistency in War Correspondent's record is its preference for normal ground conditions. On fast, dry ground it has won twice from twenty races — a 10% win rate, exactly double its overall average. That is the sort of detail that matters in the paddock: it tells you this is a horse that needs firm conditions underfoot to show its best, and trainers and jockeys plan around that kind of preference. Mr P J Cody, who has ridden it most often, has one win from ten races together, suggesting the partnership works but has never quite clicked in the way you would hope. War Correspondent may be past its peak, but until proved otherwise, it remains a horse that turns up, does its job, and occasionally provides a pleasant surprise.