West Tyrone

That breakthrough came at Southwell on 4 March 2025, when West Tyrone finally got its head in front. The win came over a distance of around a mile to a mile and two furlongs — a range where the horse has shown its best form, recording its only victory from 8 races at those trips. It is a small but meaningful pattern: stretch it out slightly, and something clicks. The trouble is, that Southwell win now sits 15 months in the past, and the horse has not been able to repeat it across its last six races, finishing outside the places in most of them.

Regular partner Tom Eaves has been in the saddle for 10 of those 15 races and has been aboard for the one win, giving them a shared record of 1 from 10 together — winning roughly 1 in every 10 times they line up as a combination. That is not a headline-grabbing figure, but the consistency of the partnership at least means the horse is well understood by its rider. What the form column has not shown recently is a return to that winning feeling: finishes of sixth, tenth, second, eighth, twelfth, and third in the last six runs suggest a horse that gets into races without quite being able to close them out.

What keeps things interesting is that West Tyrone raced just one day ago, so this is a horse very much in the thick of a campaign. The second place and third place in recent outings show the talent is still there on its day. Whether Lizzie Quinlan's yard can find the right conditions to unlock another win — ideally back at a mile to a mile and two on a track that suits — is the question worth watching.