Jan Brueghel

The highlights speak for themselves. He won at Goodwood in August 2024, then at Doncaster in September, and crowned his season by winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June 2025 — one of the most prestigious middle-distance races on the calendar. This week, he added another win at Chester. Trainer Aidan O'Brien, whose yard at Cashel in County Tipperary has sent out 144 winners already this season, described him after Epsom as "very tough" and a horse who simply "doesn't surrender." That isn't just praise — it's a warning to rivals. O'Brien noted that if you pass Jan Brueghel slowly, you're leaving the door open, because he will fight back.

His partnership with jockey Ryan Moore has been particularly productive. The two have raced together six times and won four of them — that's a win rate of 67%, or two in every three. Moore is one of the best in the business, but even he needs a willing partner, and Jan Brueghel clearly provides exactly that.

He also has a particular affinity for The Curragh, the famous flat racing track in County Kildare. He has won 2 of his 3 races there, which matters because the Curragh hosts some of the most important races in the Irish flat calendar. O'Brien has spoken openly about sending him back to defend his Coronation Cup title at Epsom in 2026 — a race that has been significantly boosted in prize money this year. After Doncaster, jockey Sean Levey floated the idea of Jan Brueghel eventually stepping up to Gold Cup distances. Whether that comes to pass or not, what's already on the board is the record of a serious racehorse at the peak of his powers.