O'Moore Park

That single win came at Fairyhouse in January 2024, and it arrived in a way that hinted at a brighter future. Rider Paul Townend noted at the time that a previous run had taken the edge off him and that he was progressing — a chaser in the making, he suggested. That promise has taken time to fully materialise, but there have been moments that explain why his team remain patient. At Cheltenham, one of the most demanding tracks in the world, he finished third to Caldwell Potter, jumping well throughout and keeping on under pressure. Jockey Sean O'Keeffe, who has ridden him in 12 of his races together without a win between them, described it as "running a blinder" and felt that stepping up in distance could unlock more.

Trainer W P Mullins, one of the most powerful yards in Irish racing — 220 winners sent out in the current season alone — has a clear plan for O'Moore Park heading into the coming months. Staying races over fences are where he believes the horse belongs, and the Coral Gold Cup, one of the bigger prizes on the calendar, has been mentioned as a target. The fact that Mullins is pointing a horse with this record at a race of that profile tells you something: in the right conditions, on the right day, O'Moore Park is considered capable of mixing it with a better class of horse. He has already been tried five times at the top level without winning, but Cheltenham suggested the ceiling might be higher than the record implies. The next few months will be the test of whether that belief is well-placed.