Jimmy Du Seuil

The Cheltenham win is the headline, but the back-story matters too. Mullins later confirmed the horse had suffered a setback during the season, which makes the decision to target Cheltenham — and get him ready specifically for that one day — all the more striking. That is not something a yard does with an ordinary horse. Mullins' operation is one of the most powerful in racing, sending out 230 winners in the current season alone, and when that team decides a horse is worth pointing at Cheltenham after a disrupted preparation, it says something.

Since switching to fences — the big jumping obstacles used in chasing rather than hurdles — Jimmy Du Seuil has caught the eye of everyone watching. His jockey Patrick Mullins was effusive after his win at Fairyhouse last November, noting that he jumped brilliantly and may actually be an even better chaser than he was a hurdler. That is a significant thing to say. Beaten horses that day included some well-regarded rivals, and the margin of victory was comfortable enough that Patrick Mullins used the word "easily." The trainer has since pointed toward Cheltenham again as the long-term target, and has noted that three miles — a stamina-testing distance — should suit him well.

Recent form shows two wins from his last six races, with a couple of blank runs in between that the setback likely explains. He has now raced just once in the last five months, which makes the next few weeks critical in terms of where the team pitches him next. If Willie Mullins is right that this horse belongs at the top level — and he has been right about enough horses to earn the benefit of the doubt — then Jimmy Du Seuil's story may only be getting started.