Blizzard Of Oz

The most important number here might be the one on very wet, muddy ground: 2 wins from 3 races, a success rate of 67%. When the rain comes and the ground turns heavy, Blizzard Of Oz is a very different proposition. Many horses simply hate the mud — it is hard work, it slows the race down, and it punishes any weakness in a horse's constitution. This one seems to relish it. That is the kind of reliable, trackable pattern that matters enormously, because Irish and British winters guarantee plenty of days exactly like that.

The trainer is W P Mullins — Willie Mullins — the most successful jumps trainer in the sport, based in Co Carlow. His yard has sent out 230 winners already this season, which is a staggering number. To put that in perspective, most trainers would consider 30 winners a very good season. Having your horse trained there means it is being prepared by a team operating at the absolute peak of the sport. When Paul Townend takes the ride — as he has done five times — the results have been remarkable: 3 wins from those 5 races together, a 60% success rate. Townend is Mullins' stable jockey and one of the best in the business, and their partnership clearly clicks with this horse in particular.

Blizzard Of Oz raced just yesterday, which confirms it is in the thick of an active campaign. First opening its account at Cork back in March 2023, it has taken time to develop into the horse it is now — and at eight, it is right in the prime years for a horse at this level. With the ground still likely to come up soft at this time of year, and a team around it that rarely puts a foot wrong, this is a horse worth paying close attention to.