Argento Boy

Mullins runs one of the most powerful yards in Ireland, having sent out 220 winners already this season alone — a staggering number that puts the operation in a league of its own. That Argento Boy has secured two wins for that team is no guarantee of stardom, but it does tell you he has earned his place. His regular partner is Paul Townend, one of the best jockeys in the sport, and together they have clicked in a big way: 2 wins from 5 races is a 40% win rate, which is exceptional by any measure.

Where Argento Boy really becomes interesting is in the mud. On very wet, heavy ground he has won 2 of his 3 races — that is a 67% win rate — suggesting he is built for the kind of grim, grinding conditions that sorts out horses with genuine stamina and strength. Assistant trainer David Casey confirmed after Naas that the extreme distances suit him, and noted that he travels and jumps better over fences than he ever did over hurdles. That transition to fencing appears to have unlocked something. Mullins himself pointed out that Argento Boy was in the process of running a huge race at Punchestown before an unfortunate slip, and that he jumped much more fluently on his return there.

Punchestown is, in fact, his home track in the truest sense — 2 wins from 7 races there, and counting. The big challenge remains at the very top level, where he has yet to trouble the judge in 3 attempts against the best horses in Class 1 races. But the team are clearly thinking ambitiously: Casey has spoken openly about Cheltenham entries and even the Irish National as targets. At seven, with his jumping improving and the mud to look forward to, Argento Boy still has a story to tell.