Energumene

The headline achievements are two wins at Cheltenham — the biggest stage in jump racing — back to back in March 2022 and March 2023, both in Class 1 company. Those are the races that define careers, and he delivered twice. His most recent win came just three weeks ago at Fairyhouse, where Willie Mullins watched on in disbelief, later saying the horse "ran like a seven or eight-year-old." That is not the kind of thing a trainer says lightly about a horse who has just turned 12.

His partnership with jockey Paul Townend is worth noting. The two have raced together 14 times and won 7 of them — a 50% win rate that mirrors the horse's overall record almost perfectly. When Townend is in the saddle, you are essentially getting a coin-flip on a winner, which at this level is extraordinary. At Cork specifically, Energumene has won 3 of 4 races, making him as close to a banker as racing offers.

Ground conditions matter enormously here. On wet or muddy ground, he has won all 3 races he has ever run on it — a perfect record. On fast, dry ground, the picture changes. At Ascot, rival Jonbon simply had too much speed for him, and the team were candid about it afterwards: the conditions did not suit, and they knew it. The strategy from Mullins' yard has always been to pick battles carefully and wait for the right ground rather than force the issue.

Mullins' yard has sent out 230 winners this season alone, which gives a sense of the operation behind this horse. Despite all that firepower, Energumene keeps finding his way into conversations at the highest level. With a Punchestown entry reportedly being considered and a trainer still excited about what he might do over a longer trip, a horse who has been winning Class 1 races for four years apparently has no intention of stopping yet.