Full Of Life

Both wins have come in the last six races, and Henry De Bromhead — whose yard at Knockeen, Co Waterford, has sent out 107 winners already this season — seems to have cracked the code. After the victory at Down Royal in October 2025, De Bromhead was candid: the team suspects the trip had simply been wrong in earlier races. Once they sorted that out, a different horse emerged. De Bromhead was full of praise after Down Royal, noting that jockey Darragh O'Keefe gave her a masterclass of a ride, and calling her jumping "brilliant" — high praise from a trainer who has handled some of the best jumpers in the sport.

What makes that Down Royal win particularly interesting is what happened next to the horse she beat. Carrigmoornaspruce, who Full Of Life got the better of that day, went on to finish second in a Grade 1 — one of the most prestigious races you can run in. That result gives the form real substance. Beating a horse who then competes at the very top level is the kind of detail that makes racing people sit up and pay attention.

Full Of Life hasn't raced since October, but De Bromhead reported she has been working well at home and the target is the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. With a recent form line that shows two wins and a second from her last four completed runs — sandwiched around a couple of quieter efforts — she arrives in good heart. And there is a longer-term plan taking shape too: De Bromhead has already flagged that chasing will be the route next season, which, given how naturally she takes to her jumping, is an intriguing thought. For now, Full Of Life is very much a horse to keep on your radar.