Illinois

The headline is a pair of Class 1 victories, the highest tier of racing in Britain. The first came at Ascot in June 2024, a result that arrived with an interesting backstory: Illinois had originally been trained as a mile-and-a-half horse, and the switch to longer distances only happened when stablemate Kyprios retired and O'Brien pivoted his plans. The fact that Illinois won at the top level having essentially been redirected mid-campaign says something about the horse's raw ability. A second Class 1 followed at Chester in May 2025, where jockey Ryan Moore reported the horse was simply waiting for someone to set the pace — and when nobody did, Illinois just went and did it himself, apparently half-interested at the finish.

Moore is very much the man associated with this horse. In six races together, they have won twice, a partnership win rate of 33%, or 2 in every 6 races. That is a meaningful number at the top level, where even 1 in 5 is considered strong.

The recent form string — 3, 7, 2, 2, 1, 2 — tells its own story. Reading it from oldest to newest, Illinois won, placed twice, won at Chester, placed, then finished third most recently. One blip in the middle of an otherwise relentlessly consistent sequence. O'Brien has spoken warmly about the horse's versatility, describing him as willing to go wherever the team points him — shorter trips for a race like the Coronation Cup or longer distances in the staying division. That kind of adaptability is genuinely rare, and rare tends to be valuable when the big spring and summer targets come into view.

Illinois raced just one day ago, which means this profile is catching him mid-campaign and mid-story. With the Ascot Gold Cup on the horizon and a trainer whose yard has already sent out 144 winners this season alone, the next chapter looks like being the most interesting one yet.