Brandt

His most recent win came at Leopardstown in March 2025, and Collins was visibly relieved afterwards. The trainer pointed to the Ulster National at Downpatrick as an ideal next target — a race that would suit Brandt's profile perfectly. It is the kind of comment that tells you Collins genuinely believes there is a decent horse in there, one capable of winning at a meaningful level when things fall right. The yard has sent out 20 winners already this season, so this is a team that knows what a good horse looks like.

The current run of six races without a win will not be lost on anyone following him closely. Recent form reads 7-6-6-13, meaning he has been finishing midfield or worse, which is a step down from where Collins clearly thinks he belongs. Jordan Gainford, his most regular jockey, has won once from seven rides together — roughly 1 in every 7 — which is a decent enough partnership without being a dominant one. At the highest level he has tried, Class 5 races, he has yet to score in four attempts, which is a reminder that while Brandt is a likeable horse with a real profile, he has not yet cracked the toughest tests put in front of him.

What makes him worth watching is that Collins has consistently talked about him as a horse with more to give — a big, athletic jumper who impressed at Punchestown early in his career and who his trainer believes has been slightly unlucky not to have a fuller record. At 8 years old and with a win as recently as fourteen months ago, he is not a spent force. Whether Downpatrick or somewhere like it finally unlocks the best of him is the open question.