American Affair

The key discovery was trip. American Affair started out over seven furlongs at Wetherby in May 2023 but has steadily been wound back to five furlongs, the shortest distance in sprinting, and that is where he has absolutely flourished. As Goldie put it after the Ascot win, "we've learnt to run him over the right trip — he's just getting better and better." At that distance, he is ferociously quick and, according to his trainer, "appears very fast and seems comfortable at that pace." Over five furlongs at the top level, he has proved he belongs.

The recent record makes for exciting reading. Three wins from his last six races, including a Class 2 at Musselburgh in April, a Class 2 at York in May, and then — the headline — a Class 1 at Royal Ascot on 17 June 2025. Winning at Royal Ascot puts a horse in rare company; it is one of the most prestigious meetings in British racing, and landing a top-level race there is the kind of result that defines careers. Goldie's post-race remark that American Affair's grandfather also had his day at Ascot added a layer of sentiment that made the moment even sweeter for the team.

Jockey Paul Mulrennan has been central to the story. The pair have won 7 of their 17 races together — a win rate of 41%, or nearly 3 in every 7 times they have lined up. That is a formidable partnership. After the York win, Mulrennan was direct about what the performance meant: American Affair had proven he was ready to move beyond what he described as his last go at that level. He was right. Six weeks later, they won at Ascot. The horse raced just one day ago and is still active — whatever comes next, this is a sprinter running the best races of his life.