Kiss Will

The first arrived at Fairyhouse in January 2025, and the manner of it caught the eye. Jockey Paul Townend, who has partnered the horse in 5 of its 8 races and won on 2 of them — a 40% win rate together — described a horse that lengthened well up the straight and showed more pace than expected. That combination of stamina and a late turn of foot is exactly what trainers hope to find.

Then came Perth in April 2025, and that is where things got genuinely interesting. Kiss Will won a Class 1 race — one of the top races in Britain — over three miles against a big, deep field, and did it emphatically. Townend was candid afterwards: something had gone wrong at Cheltenham before that, a run so out of character he simply said "it was too bad to be true." Perth looked like the real horse. Mullins took note too, saying Kiss Will clearly appreciated the step up to three miles and should develop into a serious staying horse when he moves from hurdles to fences — a transition that trainers view as a significant step up in career ambition.

Two unplaced runs since that Perth win account for the dashes in the recent form, and this is a horse that has not yet fully delivered on its obvious talent with consistency. But a Class 1 win, a trainer of Mullins' standing openly excited about the future, and a partnership with Paul Townend that works — Kiss Will is very much a horse to follow when the chasing career begins.