One Horse Town

The partnership with jockey Paul O'Brien has been central to everything. In 8 races together, they have won 4 of them — exactly half — and trainer Harry Derham made the point plainly after Cheltenham: O'Brien is brilliant from the front. That tells you something about how this horse operates. It does not sit and wait; it leads, dictates, and makes everyone else chase. At Kempton Park, that approach has produced 2 wins from 4 visits, making it something of a home track even if the biggest day came elsewhere.

Derham trains out of Upper Lambourn and has sent out 53 winners this season alone, which is a yard in serious form. The Cheltenham win was described by the trainer himself as a proper result — and you can hear the emotion in that. He noted that the owners include his own mum and dad alongside supporter Jonathan Gregory, which gives the whole story a personal warmth. This is not a faceless operation chasing prize money. It feels like a genuine team effort.

Looking ahead, Derham has been refreshingly honest about the Triumph Hurdle — the most prestigious race of its kind for young horses at the Cheltenham Festival. He thinks One Horse Town deserves to be there after such a strong season, and believes the race will suit him, but has openly said that rival Narciso Has is close to a banker to win it. That kind of candour is rare and rather endearing. The expectation is not that this horse will win the race, but that it will run with credit on the biggest day of all. For a four-year-old with 5 wins already banked and a Class 1 already in the trophy cabinet, running your race at the Festival is far from nothing.