Champ Kiely

The last time everything did click was at Punchestown in April 2025, where jockey Danny Mullins described knowing from halfway down the back straight that he was going to be involved. What followed was a textbook round of jumping — head down, rhythm intact, a big leap at the last fence that sealed it. That partnership with Danny Mullins is worth noting: together they have won 3 of their 6 races, a 50% win rate that is exceptional by any measure. When those two line up together, something tends to happen.

Willie Mullins — whose yard has sent out 230 winners this season alone, a number that puts the operation in a different category entirely — has spoken openly about the puzzle of placing this horse. It is versatile enough to have won a Grade 1 race over three miles, yet ran creditably at Naas over a shorter trip while carrying extra weight. That combination of stamina and adaptability is valuable, but it also makes it harder to identify the perfect race. Mullins mentioned the John Durkan as a possible target, with something around Christmas likely to follow.

Paul Townend, who rode the horse at Navan, offered a telling insight: every time a rival came close, Champ Kiely found more. That kind of competitive instinct — hearing the danger and responding — is not something you can train into a horse. It is either there or it is not. The current dry spell of six races without a win will inevitably sharpen focus on what comes next, but with Mullins plotting the campaign and the right ground conditions in the forecast, this is a horse that has shown it can still produce when the moment matters.