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Watchful Protector

Watchful Protector is a 6-year-old who has spent most of his career making the frame without quite getting his nose in front — nine races, one win and four places, which works out at winning roughly 1 in every 9 outings. That is a modest return on paper, but horses like this often tell a more nuanced story than the headline numbers suggest.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
Quick Facts
Age
6 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Bay
Father
Mount Nelson
Mother
Shannon Waters
Owner
Mrs N Unsworth & Jenkins Partnership
Rating
120

📊 Key Numbers

Career statistics for this horse
9
Career races
1
Wins
11.1%
Win rate
avg ~10%
44.4%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
1 days
Since last race

🔍 Full Analysis

TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
TrackLab's Detailed Breakdown
Auto-Generated

That single win came at Tipperary on 6 October 2025, and it stands as the high point of a career that has otherwise been a study in consistency without quite delivering the payoff. Tipperary is a track that rewards relaxed, well-balanced horses who travel kindly through a race, and the fact that Watchful Protector got it done there is worth noting. Whether the track suited him or whether it was simply his day is a question his recent form has not yet answered — a run of 10th, 1st, 13th, 5th and then a blank in the most recent outing suggests a horse who blows hot and cold.

He is trained by Mickey Bowen, who operates out of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, and the yard has been in seriously good form this season — 47 winners is a substantial tally and suggests Bowen knows what he is doing with his horses. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, it usually means the horses are fit, well-placed and ready to run. That Watchful Protector has not added to his tally in the six months since Tipperary is not necessarily a cause for alarm, but it does raise the question of whether the yard are still searching for the right opportunity to get the best out of him.

He raced just one day ago, which means he is very much in the middle of his campaign. With a win rate of 1 from 9 and a career that has produced four place finishes alongside that solitary victory, Watchful Protector reads as a horse capable of running well without always delivering — the kind that keeps you interested without ever quite letting you relax. In a yard sending out winners at the current rate, though, the pieces are at least in place for that to change.

Strengths & Risks

What the data says works for and against this horse
⚠ What to watch out for
Poor record on yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts

🎯 Where This Horse Thrives

Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Good (firm-ish)
Unknown
Soft (muddy)
Unknown
Good to yielding (mild give)
Unknown
Heavy (very wet)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
Long Distance (2M+)
🏅 Competition Level
Class 2 (high-level)
Unknown
Class 4 (standard)
Unknown
🏟 Track Shape
Left-handed, long straights
Loves
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids

📅 Recent Runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
12 Apr
DNF
Ffos Las
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 13 runners
6 Dec
5th
Chepstow
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 8 runners
25 Oct
13th
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 18 runners
6 Oct
🏆 Won
Tipperary
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 11 runners
25 Sep
10th
Listowel
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 11 runners
4 Apr
2nd
Wexford
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 10 runners
13 Mar
6th
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 12 runners
22 Feb
3rd
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 12 runners
28 Jan
3rd
Limerick
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 8 runners

🏇 Jockey Partnerships

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
25%
Win rate
1/4
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode

🏟 Track Record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast visitedWin rate
Limerick
Galloping
2 1 third, 1 other 13 Mar 0%
Tipperary
Galloping
1 1 win 6 Oct 100%
Chepstow
Galloping
1 1 other 6 Dec 0%
Cheltenham
Galloping
1 1 other 25 Oct 0%
Fairyhouse
Galloping
1 1 third 22 Feb 0%
Wexford
Sharp
1 1 second 4 Apr 0%
Listowel
Sharp
1 1 other 25 Sep 0%
Ffos Las
Galloping
1 1 other 12 Apr 0%