Realistic Optimism (IRE)
Realistic Optimism won two of 13 starts on turf between Nov 2021 and Jul 2025. Both wins came on good or faster ground with each success gained on a first visit to the course, the latest in the Class 5 Davisons Law Handicap Hurdle over 2m1f – 2m4f at Stratford on good to firm in Jul 2025 off an official rating of 98. The gelding, by Sageburg out of an Innisfree Dawn mare, last ran at Uttoxeter in Jul 2025 off a career-high mark of 103.
- 2–13Wins / Runs
- 15.4%Strike rate
- 6 (46.2%)Placed
- −7.62£1 level staken=13 at SP
- 0.93Fair A/E n=13 · 0.77 incl. margin
- 103Highest OR
- 111dAvg between runs
A/E compares actual wins with what starting prices implied. "Fair" strips the bookmaker margin from the expectation, so favourites and longshots are judged on the same footing — figures near 1.00 mean the market priced this horse about right.
KTB Speed and Rating
Best recent Speed 135
How fast the horse ran, as points against the day-corrected standard time for its course and distance: 100 is the median GB Class 4 handicap winner on that code; one point is 0.1% of the standard time. A, B or C is how much the day's card could tell us, not how good the run was. What this means →
| Going | Runs | Best | Median | Since 22 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 6 | 151B | 121 | — |
| Good to Soft | 4 | 115A | 86 | — |
| Good to Firm | 1 | — | — | — |
| Distance | Runs | Best | Median | Since 22 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1m5f – 2m | 8 | 151B | 107.5 | — |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 3 | 135B | 111 | — |
Of 13 runs looked at, 2 have no figure: did not complete (1) · not enough races on the card to set the day (under 4) (1).
KTB Speed v1 · batch 15 Sep 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 11 figures from 13 runs · as at 3 Oct 2026 · a record, not a forecast
Both figures are KTB's own, computed from the archive; no vendor rating enters either. Every run's figure is on its form line below with its grade. Grades measure how much the archive could see, never the merit of the run.
Run style from 6 analysed runs since Oct 2024
- Held up 2 (33%) · 0 wins
- Led 2 (33%) · 0 wins
- Mid-division 1 (17%) · 0 wins
- Prominent 1 (17%) · 1 win
Pedigree intelligence
Progeny in our archive have won 10% of 3,472 runs since Jan 2008 (414 horses).
Strongest on heavy going: 13.4% from 389. Weakest on standard (aw) going: 2.4% from 293. Strongest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 13.3% from 353.
| Going | Runs | Wins | SR | vs sire | This horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firm | 2 | 0 | 0% | −10 | — |
| Good to Firm | 45 | 7 | 15.6% | +5.6 | 1 from 1 |
| Good | 1,064 | 108 | 10.2% | +0.2 | 1 from 7 |
| Good to Soft | 647 | 71 | 11% | +1 | 0 from 4 |
| Soft | 1,031 | 100 | 9.7% | −0.3 | 0 from 1 |
| Heavy | 389 | 52 | 13.4% | +3.4 | — |
| Standard (AW) | 293 | 7 | 2.4% | −7.6 | — |
| Distance (all codes) | Runs | Wins | SR | vs sire | This horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 6f | 44 | 6 | 13.6% | +3.6 | — |
| 6f – 7f | 292 | 22 | 7.5% | −2.5 | — |
| 1m – 1m1f | 320 | 29 | 9.1% | −0.9 | — |
| 1m2f – 1m4f | 215 | 16 | 7.4% | −2.6 | — |
| 1m5f – 2m | 965 | 97 | 10.1% | +0.1 | 1 from 9 |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 1,227 | 123 | 10% | 0 | 1 from 4 |
| 2m5f – 3m | 353 | 47 | 13.3% | +3.3 | — |
| Over 3m | 56 | 6 | 10.7% | +0.7 | — |
Flat and jumps together (all codes) · since Jan 2008 · as at 22 Oct 2026 · rows under 30 runs muted · win % is the measure, a record not a forecast
3 siblings in the archive, 2 winners — best of them Star Of Guiting (IRE) (4 wins).
The wins came over 1m7½f–2m½f; the highest grade won is Class 2 (Star Of Guiting (IRE)).
| Produce | Runs | Wins | Win trips | Best grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Of Guiting (IRE) | 17 | 4 | 1m7½f–2m½f | Class 2 |
| Petrossian (IRE) | 5 | 1 | 2m½f | Class 5 |
| Fiery Robin (IRE) | 1 | 0 | — | — |
Record by conditions
| Going | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 7 | 1 | 14% | −4.50 |
| Good to Soft | 4 | 0 | 0% | −4.00 |
| Good to Firm | 1 | 1 | 100% | +1.88 |
| Soft | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Class | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 4 | 4 | 0 | 0% | −4.00 |
| Class 5 | 3 | 1 | 33% | −0.12 |
| Course | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttoxeter | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Stratford | 1 | 1 | 100% | +1.88 |
| Warwick | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Fakenham | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Windsor | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Ludlow | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Plumpton | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Listowel | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Bellewstown | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Kilbeggan | 1 | 1 | 100% | +1.50 |
| Limerick | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Down Royal | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Fairyhouse | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Distance | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1m5f – 2m | 9 | 1 | 11% | −6.50 |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 4 | 1 | 25% | −1.12 |
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Harney | 6 | 1 | 17% | −3.50 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 4 | 1 | 25% | −1.12 |
| Isabelle Ryder | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Will Featherstone | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Tom Cannon | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Headgear | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 6 | 1 | 17% | −3.50 |
| Hood + tongue tie | 4 | 0 | 0% | −4.00 |
| Tongue tie | 2 | 1 | 50% | +0.88 |
| Hood | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Season | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 25% | −1.12 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0% | −3.00 |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 25% | −1.50 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Type | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurdle | 7 | 1 | 14% | −4.12 |
| NH Flat | 5 | 1 | 20% | −2.50 |
| Flat | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
Splits include every sample, however small — muted rows are under 3 runs. A one-from-one record is a fact, not a trend: read the Runs column before the strike rate.
Form
| Date | Course | Race | Pos | Btn | Wgt | OR | Spd | KTB | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 25+26d | Uttoxeter | steelbeamsderby.co.uk Handicap Hurdle Held up in the pack early - jumped awkwardly in the early stages - travelling poorly before two out and pulled up | PU/10 | — | 10-13 | 103 | — | — | Gavin Sheehan | 9/2 |
| 01 Jul 25+27d | Stratford | Davisons Law Handicap Hurdle Pulled hard early - settled handy on rail - improved to share front spot near last - pushed clear and stayed on strongly to win | 1/8 | 11-12 | 98 | 108B | 128A | Gavin Sheehan | 15/8F | |
| 04 Jun 25+136d | Warwick | Rainier Developments & Strategic Land Novices' Handicap Hurdle Held up early - stumbled at 5th - strong progress from the inner after 3 out - pushed into second before the last but no answer to winner | 2/9 | 7½ | 11-0 | 98 | 135B | 116A | Isabelle Ryder | 5/1 |
| 19 Jan 25+35d | Fakenham | Sky Bet Acca Freeze Conditional Jockeys' Novices' Handicap Hurdle Wide early - tracked the pace and moved into second before the fifth - poor blunder three out cost the advantage - dropped away with no impact after finishing fifth | 5/7 | ½ | 11-6 | 100 | 81B | 92B | Will Featherstone | 6/1 |
| 15 Dec 24+20d | Windsor | Fitzdares Royal Windsor Racecourse Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Settled towards the back early - closed up after the third-last then pressed for effort before the last - kept going steadily but one-paced to the line finishing fourth | 4/11 | 9 | 11-7 | — | 115A | 116A | Gavin Sheehan | 18/1 |
| 25 Nov 24+35d | Ludlow | Hazlin's 50th Anniversary Year Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Sent clear on the front - lost the advantage by a whisker 3 out - dropped away with nothing left in reserve after 2 out - finished third | 3/8 | 17 | 11-4 | — | 72B | 108A | Tom Cannon | 4/1 |
| 21 Oct 24+758d | Plumpton | Mighty Trotter Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) (Div 2) Pulled hard early - in front briefly before being headed - scratchy over 4th - dropped away and was tailed off by 3 out | 5/7 | 14 | 11-0 | — | 71B | 92A | Gavin Sheehan | 11/4 |
| 24 Sep 22+84d | Listowel | Brendan Daly Memorial Slan Abhaile (Pro/Am) Flat Race | 2/8 | ½ | 11-7 | — | 100A | 122A | Tom Harney | 16/5 |
| 02 Jul 22+19d | Bellewstown | Bar One Racing 'Getting Out Stakes' Flat Race | 5/11 | 5½ | 11-7 | — | 111A | 111A | Tom Harney | 9/4 |
| 13 Jun 22+18d | Kilbeggan | Kilbeggan (Pro/Am) Flat Race | 1/16 | 11-7 | — | 151B | 134A | Tom Harney | 6/4 | |
| 26 May 22+151d | Limerick | Athea Flat Race | 2/16 | 3 | 11-7 | — | 127B | 126A | Tom Harney | 6/1 |
| 26 Dec 21+28d | Down Royal | Metcollect Oil Recycling (Pro/Am) Flat Race | 9/14 | 9 | 11-9 | — | — | 66C | Tom Harney | 8/1 |
| 28 Nov 21 | Fairyhouse | Bar One Racing Giving Cash Back Daily (pro/am) Flat Race | 4/13 | 4¾ | 11-4 | — | 115B | 124A | Tom Harney | 40/1 |
Quick answers
- How many races has Realistic Optimism (IRE) won?
- Realistic Optimism (IRE) won 2 of 13 archived starts between 2021 and 2025, a strike rate of 15.4%. Placed 6 times in total (46.2% of starts).
- Who trained Realistic Optimism (IRE)?
- Realistic Optimism (IRE) was trained by Jamie Snowden on the most recent run on record, at Uttoxeter on 27 July 2025.
- Who is Realistic Optimism (IRE)'s sire?
- Realistic Optimism (IRE) is by Sageburg (IRE) out of Innisfree Dawn (IRE), whose sire is Yeats.
- What going does Realistic Optimism (IRE) prefer?
- Realistic Optimism (IRE) has the best record on good going: 1 win from 7 starts (14.3%). Only going bands with at least three archived starts are read, so this is a direction rather than a settled preference.
- What is Realistic Optimism (IRE)'s official rating?
- The most recent official rating on record is 103, from the run on 27 July 2025. That is also the highest on record.
- What is Realistic Optimism (IRE)'s sire's record?
- Sageburg (IRE)'s progeny in our archive have won 10% of 3,472 runs since Jan 2008 (414 horses), Flat and jumps together. Strongest on heavy going: 13.4% from 389. Weakest on standard (aw) going: 2.4% from 293. Strongest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 13.3% from 353.
- Who are Realistic Optimism (IRE)'s siblings?
- Out of Innisfree Dawn (IRE), Realistic Optimism (IRE) has 3 other produce in our archive, 2 of them winners. Most wins: Star Of Guiting (IRE) (4). Highest grade won: Class 2 (Star Of Guiting (IRE)). The wins came over 1m7½f–2m½f. As at Oct 2026.