The interesting wrinkle in Zolpharine's story is his relationship with soft, muddy ground. On faster, firmer conditions he is ordinary, but when the track turns damp and testing he comes alive: he has won 2 of his last 10 races in those conditions, a 20 percent win rate that is genuinely competitive. His trainer John Patrick Ryan, based at Templemore in County Tipperary, clearly knows this horse well and will be watching the weather carefully before declaring him. The yard itself has been firing this season with 21 winners already, so there is no shortage of quality on the gallops or know-how in the saddle.
His recent form shows the grinding reality of a horse in his twilight years. His last six runs, reading from most recent, have been a seventh, a fifth, a fourteenth, a thirteenth, a fourth, and a win. That is lumpy form—one good run, two dreadful ones, two respectable ones, and one excellent one—but the fact that he is still being run regularly suggests the yard believes there are more victories to come. He is currently active and still racing at eight years old, which is no small thing. Zolpharine is not a glamorous horse, but he is a fighter.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clonmel Sharp |
12 | 12 other | 26 Mar | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
6 | 1 win, 1 second, 4 other | 21 Aug | 16.7% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
6 | 6 other | 11 Sep | 0% |
| Limerick Galloping |
5 | 1 win, 4 other | 21 May | 20% |
| Killarney Sharp |
5 | 3 seconds, 1 third, 1 other | 4 Oct | 0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
4 | 4 other | 29 Jan | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 other | 29 May | 33.3% |
| Cork Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 13 Oct | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
2 | 2 other | 25 Sep | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 29 Aug | 0% |
| Naas Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Dec | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 29 Oct | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 Nov | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 5 Aug | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 30 Sep | 0% |