Supreme Gift

The headline on the CV is a Class 2 win at Market Rasen in November 2024 — one of the better races in Britain's jumping calendar, the sort that separates horses with genuine ability from those just filling out a field. Getting to the top of that grade at nine years old says something about how well this horse has been managed by the team at E McNamara's yard in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, a stable that has sent out 22 winners already this season. They clearly know what they are doing with this one.

What makes Supreme Gift particularly interesting is a pair of quirks that seasoned race-goers would call a gift. At Ascot — one of the most prestigious tracks in the country — the horse has won 2 from 3 races. Winning two thirds of your races at any track is remarkable; doing it at Ascot borders on the extraordinary. Then there is the ground: on wet or muddy ground, Supreme Gift wins 2 from 5 races, a 40% rate. On normal conditions it is 3 from 9, which is 33%. Either way, this is a horse that is not fussy — it brings its best regardless of what the weather has done to the track.

Miss Alice Stevens has been the regular partner for much of this, riding 2 winners from 6 races together — a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 rides. That is a strong partnership by any measure.

The one note of caution is that Supreme Gift has not won in its last six races, and that last victory came 18 months ago at Market Rasen. The most recent run — just yesterday — showed a fourth-place finish, which is a step in the right direction after some quieter efforts. Whether a return to Ascot or a wet afternoon elsewhere unlocks another win remains to be seen, but the profile of this horse is one of a performer that has saved its best for the biggest stages.