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Trainer profile

Desmond McDonogh

1,088 runners in the lifetime window · 81 individual horses
As at 11 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily
Last runner 279 days ago
Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2008→)
from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it
56–1,088
Wins / Runs
5.1%
Strike rate
n=1,088
204 (19%)
Placed
0.91
Fair A/E
n=1,088 · 0.71 incl. margin
−401.59
£1 level stake
n=1,088 at SP · −36.9%
£880k
Prize money (window)
Strike by season
25%
KTB Yard Profile

Sends out around 60 runners a season, across both codes, winning with 5% of them — a touch below the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 0.91). Horses in first-time headgear strike at 7% (30 runs, true-first definition).

Deterministic profile computed from 1,088 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 11 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance Fires May–Jul Fresh horses: 5.2% Declan McDonogh: 2.8% from 72
The read

The record is strongest at Gowran Park (14%, n=50) and Downpatrick (10.6%, n=66) — all clear of the yard's 5.1% baseline. It is weakest at Dundalk (AW) (0% over 53 runners) — the widest gap in the record. Declan McDonogh rides 7% of the entries and sits below the yard's average (2.8% vs 5.1%, A/E 0.55). The record reads poorly in Chase races — 0% over 61 runners, 5.1pts below the baseline. 2 Group and Graded wins sit in the archive record — the biggest prize the yard has landed: the Rybo Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse (Apr 2021, £47,200). The stable star of the record: Hearts Are Trumps (IRE) — 5 wins from 46 runs for the yard. Seasonally, the yard fires May–Jul.

Written from the figures on this page — every claim carries its sample. Descriptive, not a tip.

Yard patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 5.1% baseline
Fresh · 61+ days off
5.2%+0.1
n=231 · A/E 1.22 · £1 −2.50
New recruits · first run for the yard
13.6%+8.5
n=22 · A/E 2.27 · £1 +20.00
Debutants · first career start
4.2%−0.9
n=48 · A/E 1.18 · £1 −33.75
First-time headgear · true-first definition
6.7%+1.6
n=30 · A/E 1.87 · £1 +33.00
Headgear returns · back on after a bare run
5.6%+0.5
n=36 · A/E 1.04 · £1 −16.00
When favourite
33.3%
n=24 · A/E 1.45 · £1 +4.91
Claiming riders · a claimer in the saddle
4.9%−0.2
n=470 · A/E 1.02 · £1 −105.00
Group / Graded races · pattern & listed
3.6%−1.5
n=55 · A/E 0.73 · £1 −8.00

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 5.1% baseline — descriptive splits with the sample always shown, for you to weigh. Tiles under 30 runs render muted. Headgear figures use the true-first definition (first gear appearance in the captured career); returns are gear back on after a bare run. Claiming riders are runs where the booked rider carried a weight claim. Group / Graded covers pattern and listed races. The same beliefs, tested across every yard and every GB and Irish race since 2005: Racing myths.

Notable angles

vs their own baseline
At Gowran Park 14% vs 5.1% · n=50
With Mark Walsh 11.6% vs 5.1% · n=69
At Downpatrick 10.6% vs 5.1% · n=66
In Chase races 0% vs 5.1% · n=61
At Navan 0.8% vs 5.1% · n=119
At Dundalk (AW) 0% vs 5.1% · n=53
Descriptive splits ranked by divergence × sample — insight, not instruction. Every angle carries its N; nothing under 30 runs qualifies. Rows within 2pts of the baseline appear only when the market-relative read (Fair A/E) diverges, and show it.

Record by conditions

same window as header

Race type

TypeRWSR£1
Hurdle 646 42 6.5% −191.34
Flat 295 10 3.4% −158.75
NH Flat 86 4 4.7% +9.50
Chase 61 0 0% −61.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1
Soft 392 23 5.9% −93.00
Good 298 21 7% −28.75
Heavy 140 2 1.4% −124.00
Good to Soft 107 3 2.8% −77.50
Good to Firm 90 7 7.8% −17.34
Standard (AW) 53 0 0% −53.00
Firm 8 0 0% −8.00

Courses

CourseRWSR£1
Navan 119 1 0.8% −106.00
Punchestown 95 4 4.2% −66.50
Fairyhouse 87 3 3.4% −42.00
Down Royal 80 3 3.8% −33.50
Ballinrobe 72 6 8.3% −20.50
Downpatrick 66 7 10.6% +14.00
Galway 62 3 4.8% −35.75
Roscommon 59 3 5.1% +23.50
Dundalk (AW) 53 0 0% −53.00
Gowran Park 50 7 14% +43.91
Naas 47 2 4.3% −26.00
Leopardstown 35 2 5.7% +4.00
Thurles 35 1 2.9% −28.50
Curragh 31 1 3.2% −14.00
Limerick 29 3 10.3% −4.25

Class

ClassRWSR£1
Class 1 54 2 3.7% −7.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1
Favourite 36 10 27.8% 1.28 +2.41
2nd–3rd fav 125 16 12.8% 0.96 −43.00
4th–6th fav 251 13 5.2% 0.78 −107.00
7th+ in betting 676 17 2.5% 0.84 −254.00
Fair A/E per band is the tell: near 1.00 the market had it priced right; well above, the wins came where the market didn't expect them.

Rows below n=30 are shown faded — a small sample is a fact, not a trend. Every figure carries its N.

Jumping record

completion over obstacles · same window as header
91.7% completed · 707 obstacle runners (chases & hurdles)
CodeRCompFURPUBDOth
Chase 61 78.7% 5 3 5 0 0
Hurdle 646 92.9% 15 5 23 1 2
Chases and hurdles only — bumpers have no obstacles, so completion is not a question there. F fell · UR unseated rider · PU pulled up · BD brought down · Oth covers refusals, slip-ups, run-outs and the rare disqualification. Non-runners are excluded throughout. Rows under n=30 are shown faded. A descriptive record, not a tip.

Horses trained

same window as header · most-raced first
HorseRWPlLast ran
Morga (IRE)from J S Bolger 64 4 17 16 Apr 21
Little Haarth (IRE) 60 3 15 23 Apr 21
Hearts Are Trumps (IRE) 46 5 13 29 Nov 23
Articilitis (IRE) 46 3 11 14 Sep 12
Alterno (IRE) 45 3 8 8 Oct 21
Maighnealta (IRE) 44 2 9 18 May 21
Peace Party (IRE) 41 2 11 30 May 23
Brian The Warrior (IRE) 37 0 2 6 Jul 14
Theophilus (IRE)from J S Bolger 32 1 4 14 Jan 20
World Citizen (IRE) 27 3 7 30 Nov 13
Fair Minded (IRE) 26 1 4 31 Dec 22
Realta Rathcabhain (IRE) 25 2 7 28 Oct 18
Showing the 60 most-raced of the 81 horses sent out in this window — each ran at least 4 times. Horses with fewer runs aren't listed; search finds any horse since 2005. Runs, wins and places only: a strike rate or a return on a handful of runs is noise, so none is quoted per horse — each horse's full record is on its own page.
Where they came from · where they went next

Of the 60 horses listed, 16 arrived from another yard in our archive, most often from J S Bolger (9); 44 had their first archived run for this yard.

15 have since run for another yard, most often for Thomas McGivern (3) and Conor O'Dwyer (2); 45 have no later run for another yard in our archive.

Read from each listed horse's whole archived career (2005 onwards), not only this window, and counted over the horses listed above, not the whole string. “First archived run” means our archive holds nothing earlier, not that the horse was unraced. A horse with no later run elsewhere may still be here, be off the track, or have run somewhere our archive does not cover — none of that is asserted.

When the yard fires

strike by month, lifetime
JFMAMJJASOND
423468846635
A jumps yard: the season runs Oct–Apr. Muted months are small samples (under 30 runs) — read them with the caution they deserve.

Jockey bookings

same window · biggest samples first
Go-to riderDeclan McDonogh
7% of all rides
2.8% SR · A/E 0.55
RiderRWSR£1
Declan McDonogh 72 2 2.8% −51.25
Ben Dalton 71 4 5.6% −12.50
Mark Walsh 69 8 11.6% −17.75
E Walsh 49 2 4.1% −25.50
Danny Mullins 44 4 9.1% −5.50
Sam James 38 0 0% −38.00
John Cullen 37 2 5.4% −22.50
Jody McGarvey 32 3 9.4% +30.00
Ryan Treacy 31 1 3.2% −20.00
Muted rows are under 30 rides and sit behind "Show all".

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2005→
58
Archived wins
2
Pattern / graded wins
£926k
Prize money
2014
Best season · 7 wins
In our archive from its very first year (2005), so this career almost certainly began earlier than our record does. The figures above count 2005 onwards only — what the archive holds, not a full-career total. This card is the full archive census (2005→); the statistics in the header aggregate from 2008 — the floor that guarantees every horse a complete captured career — so this card can legitimately show more wins than the header.
Hearts Are Trumps (IRE) — Rybo Handicap Hurdle (Grade A) Fairyhouse · Apr 2021 · Grade A
£47,200
Fiscal Focus (IRE) — Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) Leopardstown · Dec 2014 · Grade 2
£26,000
Morga (IRE) — Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Handicap Curragh (IRE) · Aug 2016
£18,450
Notable horses
Hearts Are Trumps (IRE) Morga (IRE) Little Haarth (IRE) Articilitis (IRE) Alterno (IRE) World Citizen (IRE)

Sires in the string

progeny record · win % by ground and trip
Court Cave (IRE) 2.3% · 2–86
Progeny have won 10.1% of 7,968 runs since 2008 (553 horses). Weakest on Heavy going: 6.8% from 937.
Whipper (USA) 6.7% · 5–75
Progeny have won 9.8% of 4,606 runs since 2009 (397 horses). Strongest on Heavy going: 13.6% from 516. Weakest on Standard (AW) going: 6.7% from 1,130.
Alhaarth (IRE) 5% · 3–60
Progeny have won 9.7% of 4,158 runs since 2008 (308 horses).
Teofilo (IRE) 3.4% · 2–58
Progeny have won 12.5% of 10,092 runs since 2011 (908 horses). Weakest over 2m1f – 2m4f (all codes): 7.2% from 628.
Fastnet Rock (AUS) 5.6% · 3–54
Progeny have won 12.1% of 5,487 runs since 2013 (557 horses).
Definite Article (GB) 6.5% · 3–46
Progeny have won 10.5% of 5,617 runs since 2008 (527 horses). Weakest on Standard (AW) going: 5.1% from 138. Weakest over 1m2f – 1m4f (all codes): 4.3% from 211.
Top line: the yard's own record with each sire's runners (win %, wins–runs), same window as the header; faded under 30 runs. Beneath it: every run by that sire's progeny in our archive since 2008, as at 11 Nov 2026 — what they have done, not a forecast. A going or a distance is named only where at least 100 progeny runs sit 3 or more points from the sire's own win rate. Distance bands cover Flat and jumps together.

The record

latest 50 of 1,275 · newest first

The latest 50 of 1,275 archived runners, newest first. The full record runs from 2 January 2005 to 5 February 2026.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP
05 Feb 26 Thurles Luimneach (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly Racing Again On The 19th February Handicap Chase18f · Soft · 16 ran PU 10/1
03 Feb 26 Fairyhouse Verbal Sparring (IRE)J: Carl Millar Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle16f · Heavy · 12 ran 2nd 11/1
20 Jan 26 Down Royal Luimneach (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly Aspall Handicap Chase (0-100)20.5f · Yielding To Soft · 11 ran 2nd 25/1
20 Jan 26 Down Royal Verbal Sparring (IRE)J: Carl Millar Pravha Handicap Hurdle (0-100)17f · Soft · 16 ran 1st 28/1
20 Nov 25 Thurles Luimneach (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap Chase18.5f · Yielding · 15 ran 11th 10/1
16 Nov 25 Navan Verbal Sparring (IRE)J: Carl Millar Gaeil Colmcille GAA Kells 'Day At The Races' Handicap Hurdle (0-100)16f · Heavy · 24 ran F 40/1
11 Oct 25 Fairyhouse In For The Night (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly Powerscreen New England Supporting Louth GAA Handicap Hurdle16f · Yielding · 12 ran 8th 20/1
07 Oct 25 Galway Luimneach (IRE)J: Charlie O'Dwyer Mongey Communications Handicap Chase18f · Yielding · 9 ran UR 8/1
20 Sep 25 Navan In For The Night (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly SIS, Supporting Irish Racing Handicap Hurdle16f · Yielding · 16 ran 16th 33/1
29 Aug 25 Wexford Luimneach (IRE)J: Charlie O'Dwyer Dan & Breda Byrne Memorial Handicap Chase19.5f · Good · 11 ran 8th 14/1
09 Jun 25 Roscommon Luimneach (IRE)J: Charlie O'Dwyer Strokestown Handicap Chase16f · Good · 13 ran 9th 14/1
08 Jun 25 Punchestown In For The Night (IRE)J: Miss A B O'Connor INHSC Congratulate Pandora Briselden Ladies Handicap Hurdle19f · Good To Yielding · 12 ran 11th 10/1
30 Apr 25 Punchestown In For The Night (IRE)J: Charlie O'Dwyer Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle19.5f · Yielding · 25 ran 19th 28/1
25 Apr 25 Kilbeggan Luimneach (IRE)J: Simon Torrens Racing Again Friday May 16th Beginners Chase22.5f · Yielding · 13 ran PU 40/1
03 Apr 25 Naas In For The Night (IRE)J: Aidan Kelly Mulvaney Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle19f · Good To Yielding · 18 ran 1st 11/1
27 Mar 25 Clonmel Luimneach (IRE)J: Simon Torrens Kilmanahan Beginners Chase16.5f · Good To Yielding · 14 ran 9th 8/1
22 Feb 25 Fairyhouse In For The Night (IRE)J: Mark Walsh Tote, Never Beaten By SP Handicap Hurdle20f · Soft · 23 ran PU 10/1
31 Dec 24 Punchestown In For The Night (IRE)J: Mark Walsh Tote's Cheers To 2024 Handicap Hurdle19f · Soft · 12 ran 10th 11/2
15 Dec 24 Navan Luimneach (IRE)J: Mark Walsh Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Hurdle (80-116)16f · Yielding To Soft · 13 ran 4th 8/1
30 Nov 24 Fairyhouse In For The Night (IRE)J: Charlie O'Dwyer Roganstown Hotel & Country Club 20th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle (80-130)20f · Yielding · 24 ran 2nd 15/2

Drawn from the whole archive (2005 onwards), so it can include runs outside the window the header statistics cover. Non-runners are not listed. A finish shown in letters is a non-completion (F fell · UR unseated · PU pulled up · BD brought down).

Quick answers

What is Desmond McDonogh's strike rate?
Desmond McDonogh has won 56 of 1,088 runners since 2008, a strike rate of 5.1% (as at 11 November 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does Desmond McDonogh do best at?
Gowran Park by strike rate: 7 wins from 50 runners (14%) since 2008. Read from the 15 courses with the most runners on the same basis, and only those with at least 30 — a small sample cannot top the list, and a rarely-visited course is not in the comparison.
Who rides most for Desmond McDonogh?
Declan McDonogh, with 72 runners since 2008 — 7% of the total. That pairing has won 2 (2.8%).
What is Desmond McDonogh's Fair A/E?
0.91, from 1,088 runners with a computed fair probability since 2008. Fair A/E compares actual wins with a margin-stripped market expectation, so 1.00 is par: above it the wins came at bigger prices than the margin-free market implied, below it they did not.
Fair A/E compares wins with a margin-stripped market expectation. Favourite-heavy samples — top yards, leading riders — naturally read a few points warm, so 1.05 means "beat the margin-free market read", not "the market underrates this by 5%". Three sample sizes are reported and never blended: runs (n), the ROI basis (n at SP), and the fair-A/E basis (n with a computed fair probability).

Strike rate is wins over all runs (n). ROI is £1 level stakes at SP over runs with a parseable price (n at SP). Fair A/E is wins over margin-stripped market expectation, over runs with a computed fair probability (n fair). The three Ns can legitimately differ and are always shown. Figures as at 11 November 2026, computed from our own results archive (2005 onwards; aggregates from 2008).