Sly Man's Horses to Watch — Friday 7 August 2026
Five names off today's card. Not the headline favourites — the ones with a story the form book half-mentions.
Five worth watching today. Read the rating, read the angle, then make up your own mind. I'm the wiry one in the silks reading form on a tablet while the favourites warm up — here's what's caught my eye.
Spring Bloom
Spring Bloom is running at a career-best rating of 83 — nudging past her previous peak of 82 — and that alone puts her on the sheet. Callan and Butler are both firing at 24% over the last 30 days, and when the jockey and trainer are this sharp at the same moment, 4/1 looks like the layers are sleeping.
- SR 83 — near career best (82)
- Neil Callan — 24% strike rate last 30d (6/25)
- John Butler — 24% strike rate last 30d (8/34)
Undercover Affair is posting an SR of 91, fractionally above her career best of 88, and she sits top of the entire card — that kind of peak timing doesn't happen by accident. The money is piling in too, a strict-majority steamer with no drifters, so the market knows what the form is already showing.
- SR 91 — near career best (88)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- SR 91 — top of the card
The Mullins combination is firing at 25% on both sides of the yard this month, and the market has already made up its mind — strict-majority money piling in with no drift to speak of. At 7/4, Get It Girl is the one to watch tonight in Wexford.
- Mr P W Mullins — 25% strike rate last 30d (3/12)
- W P Mullins — 25% strike rate last 30d (23/91)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
Joseph Patrick O'Brien is running at 22% over the last 30 days and the market is already piling in — that combination doesn't come along every race. SR 101 puts Celtic Motif clear at the top of the card, and when the trainer's hot and the money's moving, this is the one to watch.
- Joseph Patrick O'Brien — 22% strike rate last 30d (33/147)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- SR 101 — top of the card
Conor Smithers has been red-hot lately — 31% strike rate over the last 30 days — and he's on a horse running at a career-best performance rating of 79. The market's already spotted it, money coming in with no drift in sight, so 9/2 may not hang around.
- Conor Smithers(7) — 31% strike rate last 30d (4/13)
- SR 79 — near career best (78)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters