Ballyadam

His partnership with Rachael Blackmore tells a similar story. In 13 races together they have won twice, a win rate of around 15% — 2 from every 13 — which is actually well above his overall average, suggesting the combination brings something out in him. He last won at Punchestown on 31 December 2024, and while 16 months without a victory might sound like a dry spell, his recent form of 2-4-3-6-3-3 tells you he is rarely far away. Second, third, third — this is a horse that finishes races.

The most striking thing about Ballyadam, though, is what he does at Cheltenham. Henry de Bromhead has called it "a savage run" after a typical Ballyadam performance there, noting he gives weight away to rivals and still competes. The team at Cheveley Park Stud have been even more effusive, calling him "a star in his own right" and pointing to something they have clearly learned about managing him: keep him fresh. He loves running at Cheltenham, and he loves arriving there without too many miles on the clock beforehand. That is the kind of specific knowledge that comes from years of watching a horse closely.

The one complication is the top level. In 6 races at Class 1 — the biggest events in racing — he has not yet won. That is where the handicapper, who sets weights to make races more competitive, keeps catching up with him. De Bromhead has acknowledged the Coral Cup at Cheltenham as a potential target, a race where Ballyadam finished third last season and clearly ran to his very best. Trained out of Knockeen in County Waterford by one of jump racing's most respected yards — 107 winners sent out this season alone — Ballyadam is in the right hands to find that elusive big-day moment.

He raced just yesterday. At 11. That, more than any statistic, tells you everything about what kind of horse this is.