Hiddenvalley Lake

Trained by Henry De Bromhead at his yard in Knockeen, County Waterford — a yard that has sent out 107 winners already this season — the horse is most often partnered by Rachael Blackmore, one of racing's most celebrated jockeys. Together they have won 2 of their 6 races, a rate of 1 in every 3, and it was De Bromhead's tactical thinking before Aintree that proved decisive: resisting the temptation to let the horse lead from the front, and instead trusting the plan that had worked before. That call paid off in a Grade 1.

What makes Hiddenvalley Lake genuinely interesting is the ground question. De Bromhead had always believed the horse was at its best on wet or muddy ground — and yet it won at Aintree on conditions the trainer described as nerve-wracking, suggesting the horse may have improved beyond those earlier limitations. After a previous win at Navan on heavy ground, his jockey noted that the further they went, the better the horse jumped. That combination — stays long distances, jumps better as a race unfolds, thrives in the mud — describes a horse built for a gruelling winter campaign.

Currently active, having raced just one day ago, Hiddenvalley Lake is being pointed at either the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot or the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown — two of the winter's most prestigious long-distance hurdle races. De Bromhead is weighing up which race suits this horse versus stablemate Bob Olinger, which tells you both horses are operating at the very top level. Recent form shows a win and two fifth-place finishes in its last three completed races, so the sharpness is there. A nine-year-old with a Grade 1 already banked this season and two major targets ahead — there is plenty more to look forward to.