Horse profile
Serious Challenge (IRE)
by Fracas (IRE) out of Dushlan (IRE) (New Approach)
28 runs · 19 courses · from Jul 2022
As at 25 Oct 2026 · KTB archive: GB, Ireland & France · 2005–present, updated daily
5 wins · 5 courses
Last run 9 Oct 2026 · 16th of 17
Last raced off OR 136
KTB Profile
Serious Challenge is a gelding with five wins from 28 starts on turf, three of them over 1m5f – 2m. He won a Class 3 handicap hurdle at Haydock in Dec 2025 off a mark of 127 and a Class 4 novices hurdle at Southwell in Apr 2025 off 128. His last run, at Chepstow in Oct 2026, was off a career-high mark of 136 when he finished 16 of 17 in a Class 2 hurdle. He has won at five different courses.
Based on 28 archived runs · run-style from 10 commented runs since Jan 2025 · updated 25 Oct 2026
KTB at a glance
OR at career high
- 5–28Wins / Runs
- 17.9%Strike rate
- 10 (35.7%)Placed
- −5.05£1 level staken=28 at SP
- 1.37Fair A/E n=28 · 1.18 incl. margin
- 136Highest OR
- 57dAvg 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.
Official rating136At career-high mark
136
95–136
KTB Speed and Rating
KTB Speed
Best recent Speed 142
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 →
Jumps
| Going | Runs | Best | Median | Since 25 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good to Soft | 4 | 118B | 105 | 3 runs · 117 / 93 |
| Good | 4 | 142B | 124.5 | 2 runs · 142 / 135 |
| Heavy | 1 | — | — | — |
| Soft | 1 | — | — | — |
| Distance | Runs | Best | Median | Since 25 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1m5f – 2m | 8 | 142B | 119 | 4 runs · 142 / 122.5 |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 2 | 116B | 104.5 | 1 run · — |
Flat
| Going | Runs | Best | Median | Since 25 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 5 | 139A | 122 | — |
| Heavy | 5 | 98C | 89 | — |
| Soft | 5 | 136A | 110 | — |
| Good to Soft | 2 | 111A | 107 | — |
| Distance | Runs | Best | Median | Since 25 Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1m2f – 1m4f | 8 | 139A | 107 | — |
| 1m5f – 2m | 4 | 132A | 110 | — |
| 1m – 1m1f | 4 | 126B | 85 | — |
| 6f – 7f | 1 | — | — | — |
Of 28 runs looked at, 1 has no figure: not enough races on the card to set the day (under 4) (1).
KTB Speed v1 · batch 15 Sep 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 27 figures from 28 runs · as at 17 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 10 analysed runs since Jan 2025
- Held up 4 (40%) · 2 wins
- Prominent 3 (30%) · 0 wins
- Led 2 (20%) · 2 wins
- Mid-division 1 (10%) · 0 wins
Pedigree intelligence
Sire
Progeny in our archive have won 9.7% of 794 runs since Jan 2008 (56 horses).
Strongest on good to soft going: 13% from 100. Strongest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 14.3% from 119. Weakest over 1m2f – 1m4f (all codes): 5.7% from 106.
| Going | Runs | Wins | SR | vs sire | This horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firm | 2 | 1 | 50% | +40.3 | — |
| Good to Firm | 23 | 2 | 8.7% | −1 | — |
| Good | 259 | 26 | 10% | +0.3 | 2 from 9 |
| Good to Soft | 100 | 13 | 13% | +3.3 | 0 from 6 |
| Soft | 226 | 17 | 7.5% | −2.2 | 2 from 7 |
| Heavy | 154 | 17 | 11% | +1.3 | 1 from 6 |
| Standard (AW) | 30 | 1 | 3.3% | −6.4 | — |
| Distance (all codes) | Runs | Wins | SR | vs sire | This horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 6f | 14 | 1 | 7.1% | −2.6 | — |
| 6f – 7f | 74 | 8 | 10.8% | +1.1 | 0 from 1 |
| 1m – 1m1f | 76 | 7 | 9.2% | −0.5 | 1 from 4 |
| 1m2f – 1m4f | 106 | 6 | 5.7% | −4 | 0 from 8 |
| 1m5f – 2m | 195 | 12 | 6.2% | −3.5 | 3 from 13 |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 193 | 24 | 12.4% | +2.7 | 1 from 2 |
| 2m5f – 3m | 119 | 17 | 14.3% | +4.6 | — |
| Over 3m | 17 | 2 | 11.8% | +2.1 | — |
Flat and jumps together (all codes) · since Jan 2008 · as at 25 Oct 2026 · rows under 30 runs muted · win % is the measure, a record not a forecast
Dam
Dushlan (IRE) (New Approach)
3 siblings in the archive, 2 winners — best of them Sheer Bravado (IRE) (4 wins).
The wins came over 5f–2m1f; the highest grade won is Group 3 (Dawn Charger (IRE)).
| Produce | Runs | Wins | Win trips | Best grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheer Bravado (IRE) | 19 | 4 | 7f–2m1f | — |
| Dawn Charger (IRE) | 11 | 3 | 5f–6f | Group 3 |
| Ventriloquist (IRE) | 4 | 0 | — | — |
Record by conditions
| Going | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 9 | 2 | 22% | −0.38 |
| Soft | 7 | 2 | 29% | +2.83 |
| Good to Soft | 6 | 0 | 0% | −6.00 |
| Heavy | 6 | 1 | 17% | −1.50 |
| Class | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | 5 | 0 | 0% | −5.00 |
| Class 4 | 4 | 3 | 75% | +10.83 |
| Class 3 | 1 | 1 | 100% | +1.62 |
| Class 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Course | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curragh | 3 | 0 | 0% | −3.00 |
| Leopardstown | 3 | 0 | 0% | −3.00 |
| Plumpton | 2 | 1 | 50% | +2.33 |
| Roscommon | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Limerick | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Naas | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Galway | 2 | 1 | 50% | +3.50 |
| Chepstow | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Kelso | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Haydock | 1 | 1 | 100% | +1.62 |
| Cheltenham | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Aintree | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Sandown | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Southwell | 1 | 1 | 100% | +5.00 |
| Ayr | 1 | 1 | 100% | +3.50 |
| Huntingdon | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Down Royal | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Navan | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Cork | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Distance | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1m5f – 2m | 13 | 3 | 23% | +0.12 |
| 1m2f – 1m4f | 8 | 0 | 0% | −8.00 |
| 1m – 1m1f | 4 | 1 | 25% | +1.50 |
| 2m1f – 2m4f | 2 | 1 | 50% | +2.33 |
| 6f – 7f | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory Cleary | 11 | 0 | 0% | −11.00 |
| Jonathan Burke | 10 | 4 | 40% | +7.45 |
| Kevin Manning | 3 | 1 | 33% | +2.50 |
| Luke McAteer | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Liam Harrison | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| N G McCullagh | 1 | 0 | 0% | −1.00 |
| Headgear | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 26 | 5 | 19% | −3.05 |
| Cheekpieces | 2 | 0 | 0% | −2.00 |
| Season | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0% | −3.00 |
| 2025 | 8 | 4 | 50% | +9.45 |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 0% | −8.00 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0% | −6.00 |
| 2022 | 3 | 1 | 33% | +2.50 |
| Type | Runs | Wins | SR | £1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | 17 | 1 | 6% | −11.50 |
| Hurdle | 11 | 4 | 36% | +6.45 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 · 3 runs | ||||||||||
| 09 Oct 26+187d | Chepstow | DragonBet 'Welsh Champion' Hurdle Race (A Limited Handicap) (GBB Race) Raced at the back early - struggling to keep pace 3 out - soon tailed off and beaten 52.5 lengths in 16th | 16/17 | nk | 11-4 | 136 | 83C | 131C | Liam Harrison | 22/1 |
| 05 Apr 26+36d | Plumpton | BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) Held up in the pack - blundered 3 out - made progress before 2 out - finished strongly from the last to snatch third close home | 3/14 | ¾ | 12-0 | 135 | 142B | 149A | Jonathan Burke | 7/1 |
| 28 Feb 26+60d | Kelso | bet365 Morebattle Hurdle (Handicap) (GBB Race) Held up towards back - moved up wide from 3 out - driven approaching 2 out - shared front spot last - driven out on run-in - overtaken inside final furlong and stayed on same pace to close | 2/17 | ¾ | 11-9 | 132 | 117B | 159A | Jonathan Burke | 16/1 |
| 2025 · 8 runs | ||||||||||
| 30 Dec 25+44d | Haydock | Betfred 'Happy New Year' Handicap Hurdle Settled towards the back early after fighting for control - untidy jumping third - made progress 3 out to join the front group - shared the advantage before edging clear before the last - stayed on well to score | 1/8 | 11-6 | 127 | 128A | 144A | Jonathan Burke | 13/8J | |
| 16 Nov 25+21d | Cheltenham | Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) Held handy early - dropped away rapidly before 2 out - eased and pulled up losing fluency | PU/18 | — | 10-11 | 127 | — | — | Jonathan Burke | 13/2 |
| 26 Oct 25+183d | Aintree | William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) Settled in 5th and pulling hard early - improved into 6th before the last - pushed along approaching the final fence - unable to find more and well beaten - finished 4th | 4/6 | 1½ | 11-3 | 128 | 93A | 131B | Jonathan Burke | 3/1 |
| 26 Apr 25+11d | Sandown | bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) Sat close to pace early - hit front by a whisker 2 out then had to be niggled along - lost place approaching last - drifted right and could not find more late finishing fourth | 4/14 | 2½ | 11-13 | 128 | 121B | 145A | Jonathan Burke | 15/2 |
| 15 Apr 25+50d | Southwell | Weekend Winners On Sky Sports Racing Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) Set the pace from the off - driven out approaching 2 out and found more to the line - never in danger of defeat | 1/5 | 12-0 | 128 | 117C | 144B | Jonathan Burke | 5/1 | |
| 24 Feb 25+28d | Ayr | Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) Set the pace early to the 4th - settled just behind the front-runner - regained command approaching 2 out looking strongest - blundered at the last with a big advantage but stayed on to assert on the run-in | 1/6 | 12-0 | — | 120B | 149B | Jonathan Burke | 7/2 | |
| 27 Jan 25+25d | Plumpton | Prince Albert Brighton Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Held up eager in tight 3rd early - moved through to hit the front before the 5th and controlled from there - pushed out to hold on strongly up the straight | 1/6 | 11-10 | — | 116B | 139B | Jonathan Burke | 10/3 | |
| 02 Jan 25+184d | Huntingdon | Advertise Your Business At Huntingdon Racecourse Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Handy in the pack racing wide - fighting for its head early - urged forward before fading 3 out - well held at the finish | 5/14 | 6½ | 11-8 | — | 118B | 111A | Jonathan Burke | 9/2 |
| 2024 · 8 runs | ||||||||||
| 02 Jul 24+10d | Roscommon | Watch Racing TV Irish EBF Lenebane Stakes (Listed) | 3/7 | hd | 9-11 | 102 | 122A | 96A | Rory Cleary | 7/1 |
| 22 Jun 24+17d | Limerick | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Martin Molony Stakes (Listed) | 3/8 | 3¼ | 9-9 | 102 | 139A | 96A | Rory Cleary | 7/1 |
| 05 Jun 24+5d | Curragh | Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Handicap (Premier Handicap) | 3/11 | 1¼ | 10-0 | 102 | 106A | 101A | Rory Cleary | 15/2 |
| 31 May 24+14d | Down Royal | His Majesty's Plate (Listed) | 4/8 | 1¾ | 9-5 | 102 | 132A | 85A | Rory Cleary | 6/1 |
| 17 May 24+27d | Leopardstown | Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes (Group 3) | 4/6 | 2¼ | 9-5 | 97 | 110A | 86B | Rory Cleary | 66/1 |
| 20 Apr 24+27d | Curragh | Tote.ie Alleged Stakes (Group 3) | 9/10 | 4¾ | 9-5 | 100 | 89C | 74C | N G McCullagh | 18/1 |
| 24 Mar 24+6d | Naas | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Devoy Stakes (Listed) | 4/7 | 7½ | 9-7 | 102 | 98C | 77C | Rory Cleary | 3/1 |
| 18 Mar 24+258d | Curragh | Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire (Premier Handicap) | 7/19 | nk | 9-11 | 102 | 82C | 105A | Rory Cleary | 33/1 |
| 2023 · 6 runs | ||||||||||
| 04 Jul 23+11d | Roscommon | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Lenebane Stakes (Listed) | 4/9 | shd | 8-12 | 102 | 111A | 83A | Rory Cleary | 9/1 |
| 23 Jun 23+41d | Limerick | Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Martin Molony Stakes (Listed) | 3/11 | nk | 8-12 | 97 | 136A | 87A | Rory Cleary | 11/1 |
| 13 May 23+22d | Navan | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes (Listed) | 4/6 | ¾ | 9-5 | 98 | 110A | 81B | Rory Cleary | 13/2 |
| 21 Apr 23+19d | Cork | Sign Up To Our Newsletter Race | 3/5 | ¾ | 9-6 | 99 | 103C | 92B | Luke McAteer | 9/2 |
| 02 Apr 23+7d | Leopardstown | P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (Group 3) | 4/6 | 1¾ | 9-5 | 101 | 95A | 84B | Rory Cleary | 18/1 |
| 26 Mar 23+197d | Naas | Naas Median Auction Race | 3/4 | 4 | 9-6 | 102 | 53C | 82B | Luke McAteer | 10/11F |
| 2022 · 3 runs | ||||||||||
| 10 Sep 22+42d | Leopardstown | KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2) | 4/5 | 1 | 9-5 | 95 | 88C | 89B | Kevin Manning | 6/1 |
| 30 Jul 22+5d | Galway | Boylesports Casino Irish Ebf Maiden | 1/7 | 9-7 | — | 126B | 92A | Kevin Manning | 9/2 | |
| 25 Jul 22 | Galway | Claregalwayhotel.ie Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden | 3/7 | 1¼ | 9-5 | — | 59C | 85A | Kevin Manning | 14/1 |
Quick answers
- How many races has Serious Challenge won?
- Serious Challenge (IRE) won 5 of 28 archived starts between 2022 and 2026, a strike rate of 17.9%. Placed 10 times in total (35.7% of starts).
- Who trains Serious Challenge?
- Serious Challenge (IRE) is trained by Fergal O'Brien, who saddled the horse on its most recent run on 9 October 2026.
- Who is Serious Challenge's sire?
- Serious Challenge (IRE) is by Fracas (IRE) out of Dushlan (IRE), whose sire is New Approach.
- What going does Serious Challenge prefer?
- Serious Challenge (IRE) has the best record on soft going: 2 wins from 7 starts (28.6%). Only going bands with at least three archived starts are read, so this is a direction rather than a settled preference.
- What is Serious Challenge's official rating?
- The most recent official rating on record is 136, from the run on 9 October 2026. That is also the highest on record.
- What is Serious Challenge's sire's record?
- Fracas (IRE)'s progeny in our archive have won 9.7% of 794 runs since Jan 2008 (56 horses), Flat and jumps together. Strongest on good to soft going: 13% from 100. Strongest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 14.3% from 119. Weakest over 1m2f – 1m4f (all codes): 5.7% from 106.
- Who are Serious Challenge's siblings?
- Out of Dushlan (IRE), Serious Challenge (IRE) has 3 other produce in our archive, 2 of them winners. Most wins: Sheer Bravado (IRE) (4). Highest grade won: Group 3 (Dawn Charger (IRE)). The wins came over 5f–2m1f. As at Oct 2026.