The most compelling number in Hourigan's record is what she has achieved with a single horse. Her partnership with Unterberg has produced 7 wins from 25 races together — that's more than 1 win in every 4 — which is an extraordinary return and speaks to a genuine working relationship between trainer and horse. When a yard keeps returning to the same animal and keeps winning, it tells you they understand exactly what that horse needs and how to get the best out of it.
Her most trusted jockey at the moment is Rory Mulligan, who has partnered her horses to 2 wins from 12 rides this season, a win rate of around 1 in 6. That is a solid partnership in the making.
If you want to find Hourigan at her most dangerous, watch what she does at Dundalk. She has sent out 5 winners from just 14 runners there — more than 1 in every 3 — which is a remarkable record at a single track and hints at a trainer who knows exactly how to prepare a horse for that particular venue. Equally striking is her performance on normal ground conditions, where she wins 5 from 15 races, or 1 in 3. That number suggests her horses are tuned to run their best when conditions are straightforward rather than testing.
Hourigan is still in the early chapters of what could be a long career, but the trajectory is pointed firmly in the right direction. The win rate is climbing, the track record at Dundalk is hard to argue with, and a horse like Unterberg gives her a calling card that any trainer would be pleased to have. She is well worth following.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk | 14 | 5 | 35.7% |
| The Curragh | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Leopardstown | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| Limerick | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Cork | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Ballinrobe | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Naas | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Listowel | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Roscommon | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Tipperary | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Down Royal | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Gowran Park | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Navan | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Sligo | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Galway | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Laytown | 1 | 0 | 0% |