CHELTENHAM rightly dominates most racing conversation at this time of year, but the spring festivals at home are not far away, and last Thursday’s Thurles maiden hurdle winner Rushmount looks like he can make his presence felt at Fairyhouse or Punchestown.

Jonathan Sweeney’s seven-year-old had a couple of point runs last spring before producing a fine debut on the track at Thurles in November, just a neck behind the now 143-rated Lecky Watson with two lengths back to Shannon Royale, who now has a mark of 132.

Both of his main rivals then were more experienced having had multiple runs in bumpers, but the Sweeney horse might be the best long-term prospect of the lot, despite the fact he was off for four months afterwards, initially aimed at Leopardstown over Christmas but suffering a setback in the preparation.

Despite that absence, he easily defeated a pair of race-fit opponents last Thursday, both of which had reasonable form in maiden hurdles, and looks an ideal type for a race like the three-mile novice handicap at Fairyhouse over Easter, a race his trainer won with Western Walk last year.

Winner to runner ratios

Sweeney is not a trainer that has a lot of runners but tends to extract wins from many of them; his winner to runner ratio this season is 50% (eight individual runners, four winners) following on from similarly strong ratios of 40%, 67% and 40% in the three seasons prior to this one.

Those sort of figures put him in some exalted company. So far in the 2023/’24 season, seven trainers that have had at least five individual runners and won at least €50,000 in prize money have managed winner-to-runner ratios of 40% or better.

Top of the pile is Martin Hassett on 60% (five runners, three winners) followed by Karl Thornton on 56% (nine runners, five winners) then someone you might have heard of, Willie Mullins on 55% (276 runners, 142 winners).

Completing the top seven are Eoin Griffin on 44% (17 runners, eight winners), Ted Walsh on 42% (12 runners, five winners) and Michael McDonagh on 40% (10 runners, four winners).

After a winner on New Year’s Day, Thornton commented that his horses ‘were sick all last year’, but things have gone much better recently, especially given the lack of highly rated runners in his yard.

Of his nine individual runners this season, only one is rated higher than 115 currently – Rich Belief who is not long with the yard – with five of them rated 105 or less.

Griffin too has had his horses in fine form and winning good races too; Wouldn’t You Agree (Bellewstown), Jody Ted (Punchestown) and One Last Tango (Leopardstown) all won prizes on strong cards.