Boycetown

The win came on Boxing Day 2025 at Down Royal, which is as good a day to announce yourself as any. Before that, Boycetown had already shown ability in a point-to-point — the rough-and-tumble cross-country racing that many jumping horses use as a starting point — finishing second, which is what first caught Gavin Cromwell's eye. Cromwell described him simply as "a nice horse to look forward to," which is trainer-speak for a horse they genuinely believe in without wanting to jinx anything.

Cromwell trains out of Navan in Co. Meath and is having a serious season — 98 winners so far, which tells you this is a yard that knows how to get horses ready to win. When a stable of that size and quality takes a quiet interest in a young horse, it usually means something. Boycetown's recent form reads 3-4-1-2 in reverse order, which shows a horse that dipped slightly before finding the winning line, then has kept on performing. Four races in and still unbeaten on the track in the sense that every single run has produced a cheque — that is a fine foundation to build on.