Adelaide River

The first win came at Dundalk in August 2022, and even then there were signs this wasn't an ordinary horse. Jockey Wayne Lordon described him as "the lazy one" at home — the sort that would wander to the start half-asleep and jump slowly — and yet once he got rolling that day, he had plenty left in the tank. Ears pricked, finding more when asked. That combination of ease and untapped potential is exactly what trainers dream about.

The second win, at Leopardstown in September 2023, came with even bigger ambitions attached. After the race, trainer Aidan O'Brien — speaking for the yard at the time — drew a comparison to Duke Of Marmalade, a horse who went on to become a top-level performer after maturing late. The thinking was that Adelaide River was simply too big and too green to be judged yet, and that the following year would be when he truly arrived. Earlier that spring, there had been genuine Derby trial talk, and even a potential trip to France for one of the recognised trials for the classics. That is serious company.

What makes this profile a little bittersweet is the timeline. That Leopardstown win was 35 months ago. The big year that was promised never quite materialised in the way the team hoped. His recent form — finishing fifth, fifteenth, third, first, second, and eighth in his last six runs — shows a horse that can still get involved but hasn't recaptured that winning feeling with any regularity. The fifteenth is a reminder that things can go wrong, the third and second that the ability is still lurking somewhere.

He raced just yesterday, which means this story is still being written. O'Brien's yard has sent out 160 winners this season alone — a formidable operation — and horses in that environment rarely stay in training without purpose. Whether Adelaide River can finally cash in on the promise that has been talked about since 2022 remains the open question.