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Horse profile

Verbal Sparring (IRE)

7yo gelding · Trainer Desmond McDonogh · Owner Mrs Bridget Dillon Seamus Domegan
by Vocalised (USA) out of Teocht (IRE) (Teofilo)
26 runs · 12 courses · from Jun 2021
As at 1 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: GB, Ireland & France · 2005–present, updated daily
2 wins · Down Royal & Sligo Last run 3 Feb 2026 · 2nd of 12 Last raced off OR 105
KTB Profile

Verbal Sparring is a gelding with two wins from 26 starts on turf, both in handicaps over 2m1f – 2m4f. He won the Pravha Handicap Hurdle at Down Royal on soft ground in Jan 2026 off a mark of 98 and the Lake Isle Of Innisfree Handicap Hurdle at Sligo on good ground in Jun 2024 off 95. He last ran at Fairyhouse in Feb 2026, finishing 2 of 12 in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle while racing off his career-high mark of 105.

Based on 26 archived runs · run-style from 5 commented runs since Aug 2024 · updated 1 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance OR at career high
Official rating105At career-high mark
105 73–105

KTB Speed and Rating

KTB Speed

Best recent Speed 87 the best of the last 3 graded (A or B) runs · Fairyhouse, 3 Feb 2026

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 17 figures · best 112B · median 77
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
Soft8112B791 run · —
Heavy688B81.51 run · —
Good274A69—
Good to Soft1———
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
1m5f – 2m13110B771 run · —
2m1f – 2m4f4112B781 run · —
Flat 6 figures · best 96C · median 77.5
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
Soft277A76.5—
Heavy296C73—
Good280A79—
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
6f – 7f380A78—
1m2f – 1m4f296C86—
1m – 1m1f1———

Of 26 runs looked at, 3 have no figure: did not complete (3).

KTB Speed v1 · batch 15 Sep 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 23 figures from 26 runs · as at 3 Oct 2026 · a record, not a forecast

KTB Rating

Best recent KTB Rating (jumps) 125A the best of the last 3 rated runs · Down Royal, 20 Jan 2026 Official rating 105 at the last jumps run, 3 Feb 2026

Best recent KTB Rating (flat) 79A the best of the last 3 rated runs · Naas, 31 Oct 2021 Official rating 73 at the last flat run, 25 Jul 2022

What the horse achieved in each race, in pounds on the official-rating scale, from the weight carried, the lengths beaten and the race's own level solved across the archive — never the market, never the official rating as a starting point. The headline is the best of the horse's last three rated runs on that code — its best recent day. The KTB Rating on a racecard is a different reading of the same figures: the level the horse has been running to, an average of up to its last six runs with the latest counting most, so the two can differ. A, B or C on a run is how much known form was in that race. What this means →

Jumps 17 figures · best 127A · median 111
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
Soft8125A1001 run · —
Heavy6127A1191 run · —
Good2111A101.5—
Good to Soft1———
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
1m5f – 2m13127A1011 run · —
2m1f – 2m4f4125A112.51 run · —
Flat 6 figures · best 79A · median 72.5
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
Soft272A60.5—
Heavy279A65.5—
Good276A74.5—
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 1 Nov 2025
6f – 7f376A73—
1m2f – 1m4f252C50.5—
1m – 1m1f1———

Of 26 runs looked at, 3 have no figure: did not complete (or a non-runner row) (3).

KTB Rating v1 · batch 3 Oct 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 23 figures from 26 runs · as at 4 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 5 analysed runs since Aug 2024

  • Held up 2 (40%) · 0 wins
  • Mid-division 2 (40%) · 1 win
  • Prominent 1 (20%) · 0 wins

Pedigree intelligence

Sire
Vocalised (USA)

Progeny in our archive have won 6.7% of 2,032 runs since Jun 2014 (172 horses).

GoingRunsWinsSRvs sireThis horse
Firm100%−6.7—
Good to Firm170148.2%+1.5—
Good555407.2%+0.51 from 4
Good to Soft209146.7%00 from 1
Soft595376.2%−0.51 from 12
Heavy244218.6%+1.90 from 9
Standard (AW)258103.9%−2.8—
Distance (all codes)RunsWinsSRvs sireThis horse
Under 6f7656.6%−0.1—
6f – 7f586508.5%+1.80 from 3
1m – 1m1f543315.7%−10 from 1
1m2f – 1m4f357174.8%−1.90 from 2
1m5f – 2m275196.9%+0.20 from 16
2m1f – 2m4f156127.7%+12 from 4
2m5f – 3m3925.1%−1.6—

Flat and jumps together (all codes) · since Jun 2014 · as at 31 Oct 2026 · rows under 30 runs muted · win % is the measure, a record not a forecast

Dam
Teocht (IRE) (Teofilo)

No other produce in our archive. It holds racing in Great Britain, Ireland and France from 2005, so siblings racing elsewhere won’t appear here.

Record by conditions

GoingRunsWinsSR£1
Soft 12 1 8% +17.00
Heavy 9 0 0% −9.00
Good 4 1 25% +0.50
Good to Soft 1 0 0% −1.00

CourseRunsWinsSR£1
Naas 5 0 0% −5.00
Roscommon 4 0 0% −4.00
Navan 3 0 0% −3.00
Fairyhouse 2 0 0% −2.00
Sligo 2 1 50% +2.50
Punchestown 2 0 0% −2.00
Limerick 2 0 0% −2.00
Curragh 2 0 0% −2.00
Down Royal 1 1 100% +28.00
Wexford 1 0 0% −1.00
Ballinrobe 1 0 0% −1.00
Galway 1 0 0% −1.00

DistanceRunsWinsSR£1
1m5f – 2m 16 0 0% −16.00
2m1f – 2m4f 4 2 50% +29.50
6f – 7f 3 0 0% −3.00
1m2f – 1m4f 2 0 0% −2.00
1m – 1m1f 1 0 0% −1.00

JockeyRunsWinsSR£1
Carl Millar 7 2 29% +26.50
E Walsh 5 0 0% −5.00
J J Slevin 2 0 0% −2.00
Patrick M O'Brien 2 0 0% −2.00
Shane O'Callaghan 2 0 0% −2.00
Rory Cleary 2 0 0% −2.00
Kevin Manning 2 0 0% −2.00
Rachael Blackmore 1 0 0% −1.00
Liam McKenna 1 0 0% −1.00
Declan McDonogh 1 0 0% −1.00
Leigh Roche 1 0 0% −1.00

HeadgearRunsWinsSR£1
None 24 1 4% −19.50
Tongue tie 2 1 50% +27.00

SeasonRunsWinsSR£1
2026 2 1 50% +27.00
2025 1 0 0% −1.00
2024 9 1 11% −4.50
2023 7 0 0% −7.00
2022 3 0 0% −3.00
2021 4 0 0% −4.00

TypeRunsWinsSR£1
Hurdle 20 2 10% +13.50
Flat 6 0 0% −6.00

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

DateCourseRace PosBtn Wgt ORSpdKTB Jockey SP
2026 · 2 runs
03 Feb 26+14d Fairyhouse Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle 2m · Heavy · 12 ran Held up towards the back of the pack - improved into contention entering the straight - pushed along into second two out - unable to trouble the winner from the last and finished second 2/12 10 11-5 10587A123A Carl Millar 11/1
20 Jan 26+65d Down Royal Pravha Handicap Hurdle (0-100) 2m1f · Soft · 16 ran Settled midpack wide - fighting for control early - moved into 3rd approaching 5th - urged forward after 3 out - drifted slightly left while sharing front spot 2 out - went clear before last and held on strongly to the line 1/16 11-8 9882B125A Carl Millar 28/1
2025 · 1 run
16 Nov 25+384d Navan Gaeil Colmcille GAA Kells 'Day At The Races' Handicap Hurdle (0-100) 2m · Heavy · 24 ran Towards the back of the pack when a serious blunder at the 1st fence ended the partnership F/24 — 11-7 98—— Carl Millar 40/1
2024 · 9 runs
28 Oct 24+68d Wexford County Wexford Vintners Federation Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-109) 2m½f · Soft · 11 ran Settled in the pack early - improved to 4th approaching 3 out - dropped back and pushed along before 2 out - couldn't find more late to finish 8th 8/11 ½ 11-2 10076B99A Carl Millar 9/2
21 Aug 24+44d Sligo Aidan Moffitt Memorial Handicap Hurdle (80-102) 2m1½f · Soft · 13 ran Sat close up early - stumbled briefly second fence - back in 6th at halfway - moved through to hit front two out - driven to front approaching final furlong but couldn't shake off rival - eased back to third late on 3/13 1½ 11-4 99112B114A Carl Millar 5/1
08 Jul 24+27d Roscommon Re/Max Team Earley Handicap Hurdle (80-102) 2m · Good · 13 ran 12/13 5 11-11 9964B92A Rachael Blackmore 8/1
11 Jun 24+56d Sligo Lake Isle Of Innisfree Handicap Hurdle (80-102) (Div 1) 2m2f · Good · 11 ran 1/11 11-1 9574A111A Carl Millar 7/2F
16 Apr 24+12d Naas Daragh Fitzpatrick Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle 2m½f · Soft · 13 ran 2/13 ¾ 10-5 93110B117A J J Slevin 9/2
04 Apr 24+25d Naas Owners Insurance Included In AIRO Membership Handicap Hurdle (80-95) 2m · Soft To Heavy · 25 ran 6/25 1¾ 11-13 9479B121A J J Slevin 8/1
10 Mar 24+29d Naas Bar One Racing 'Price Boosts All 28 Favourites At Cheltenham' Handicap Hurdle (80-102) (Div 1) 1m7½f · Soft · 19 ran F/19 — 10-13 94—— Patrick M O'Brien 10/3F
10 Feb 24+12d Naas Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-116) 2m · Heavy · 10 ran 2/10 2¾ 10-4 9284A117A Patrick M O'Brien 11/2
29 Jan 24+29d Punchestown Book Your Festival Hospitality Now Handicap Hurdle (80-95) 2m4f · Heavy · 14 ran 8/14 1¼ 11-12 9262C93C E Walsh 14/1
2023 · 7 runs
31 Dec 23+40d Punchestown Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-95) 2m½f · Heavy · 22 ran 2/22 ½ 11-7 8888B127A Carl Millar 18/1
21 Nov 23+57d Limerick Limerick Races On Facebook Handicap Hurdle (80-95) 2m · Heavy · 14 ran 10/14 1½ 11-4 9077B82A Liam McKenna 12/1
25 Sep 23+9d Roscommon Conor Cassidy Cars Handicap Hurdle (80-102) 2m · Soft · 12 ran 5/12 9½ 10-13 9199B95A E Walsh 12/1
16 Sep 23+33d Navan Bar One Racing Guaranteed Multiples All Shops Maiden Hurdle 1m7½f · Yielding · 18 ran 6/18 8½ 11-7 —70C96C E Walsh 80/1
14 Aug 23+18d Ballinrobe John & Pat Rochford Memorial Maiden Hurdle 2m½f · Good To Yielding · 14 ran 3/14 nk 10-12 —74B111A E Walsh 33/1
27 Jul 23+169d Limerick Hurling For Cancer Moves To Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow August 21st Maiden Hurdle 2m · Yielding To Soft · 16 ran 8/16 hd 11-4 —61B101A E Walsh 11/1
08 Feb 23+73d Fairyhouse Bulmers Bundle For Easter Maiden Hurdle 2m · Yielding · 12 ran UR/12 — 11-0 ——— Shane O'Callaghan 9/1
2022 · 3 runs
27 Nov 22+125d Navan Bar One Racing 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle 2m · Soft · 22 ran 14/22 1¼ 10-7 —71B99A Shane O'Callaghan 200/1
25 Jul 22+27d Galway Eventus Handicap (60-90) 1m4½f · Soft · 15 ran 13/15 11 9-0 7376C49C Declan McDonogh 66/1
28 Jun 22+240d Roscommon Dermot Hughes Car Sales Handicap 1m2f · Soft To Heavy · 13 ran 11/13 2½ 8-12 7496C52C Leigh Roche 33/1
2021 · 4 runs
31 Oct 21+124d Naas Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden 1m · Heavy · 20 ran 4/20 5½ 9-7 7550C79A Rory Cleary 33/1
29 Jun 21+4d Roscommon Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden 7½f · Good · 7 ran 4/7 2 9-7 —78A73A Kevin Manning 11/1
25 Jun 21+23d Curragh Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden 6f · Good · 11 ran 7/11 1 9-7 —80A76A Kevin Manning 14/1
02 Jun 21 Curragh Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund (C & G) Maiden 7f · Yielding · 11 ran 6/11 1¼ 9-5 —77A72A Rory Cleary 40/1

Quick answers

How many races has Verbal Sparring won?
Verbal Sparring (IRE) won 2 of 26 archived starts between 2021 and 2026, a strike rate of 7.7%. Placed 8 times in total (30.8% of starts).
Who trains Verbal Sparring?
Verbal Sparring (IRE) is trained by Desmond McDonogh, who saddled the horse on its most recent run on 3 February 2026.
Who is Verbal Sparring's sire?
Verbal Sparring (IRE) is by Vocalised (USA) out of Teocht (IRE), whose sire is Teofilo.
What going does Verbal Sparring prefer?
Verbal Sparring (IRE) has the best record on good going: 1 win from 4 starts (25%). Only going bands with at least three archived starts are read, so this is a direction rather than a settled preference.
What is Verbal Sparring's official rating?
The most recent official rating on record is 105, from the run on 3 February 2026. That is also the highest on record.
What is Verbal Sparring's sire's record?
Vocalised (USA)'s progeny in our archive have won 6.7% of 2,032 runs since Jun 2014 (172 horses), Flat and jumps together.

Record shown from June 2021. Our archive holds racing in Great Britain, Ireland and France from January 2005. Any runs before that, or in other countries, are not in it. In-running comments are available from 2024 onward.