Journey With Me

The most striking thing on his record is what he has done at Naas. Three races there, three wins. A perfect record at a track is genuinely rare, and it suggests something beyond luck — a horse that travels well to that course, handles the ground there, and simply turns up ready to perform. Pair that with his love of wet, muddy ground — two wins from three races on it, a 67 percent record — and you start to understand where his best performances come from.

Rachael Blackmore has been the jockey most associated with him, and the numbers back that up. In nine races together they have won four times, which works out at roughly 1 in every 2 races — a 44 percent win rate that is exceptional by any measure. Her post-race comment at Naas about his jumping taking time to warm up after a fall, but ultimately doing it well, captures something real about this horse: he needs a bit of patience, but when he finds his rhythm, he delivers.

Trainer D M Christie, based in Co Fermanagh, has been candid about the journey. A serious illness through the winter knocked Journey With Me completely off course — Christie admitted he was the worst affected horse in the yard and was running under a cloud for months. The Cork win on 6 April this year, just five weeks ago, felt like a genuine comeback. "He was high class back in the day," Christie said, "but all those high class horses go through a tough time." That quote matters, because it tells you this is not a horse being pushed beyond his level — this is a horse being brought back to a level everyone around him believes he belongs at.

Christie has spoken openly about targeting Grade 1 company, possibly over two and a half miles. Journey With Me already tested himself at that level at the Punchestown Gold Cup and ran well before the trip found him out. At ten, he may not have many seasons left, but right now he looks like a horse with unfinished business.