King Of Kingsfield

The partnership with Jack Kennedy is the obvious thread running through his best performances. Kennedy has ridden him in 10 races and won 4 of them — that is a remarkable 40% win rate together, comfortably double what the horse achieves overall. There is clearly something about the combination that works. After his win at Punchestown in October 2025, trainer Gordon Elliott noted that the horse is relaxing far more than he used to — he was a keen, hard-to-settle type as a younger horse, which is exactly the kind of thing that costs you races. Kennedy felt he might have won even more easily if he hadn't made a small mistake two fences from home. A horse that used to pull hard and now travels within himself is a horse heading in the right direction.

Elliott has been open about the fact that King Of Kingsfield was sometimes used as a pacemaker for stable companion Brighterdaysahead in earlier seasons — doing the hard work up front so a better-fancied horse could benefit. That is not the most glamorous role, and Elliott himself has acknowledged it wasn't entirely fair. Now that the horse has moved to racing over fences and is competing on his own terms, those three wins over fences feel more meaningful. The yard, one of the most powerful in Ireland with 209 winners already this season, clearly has plans for him.

The one caveat is the top level: in three races at the highest grade, he has not yet won. Elliott has been considering options including the Plate and the Grand Annual at Cheltenham — significant targets. Whether he can bridge that gap remains the key question, but a horse who has settled, improved, found a partner who gets the best from him, and is actively racing is one worth paying attention to.