Taipan

Harrington trains out of Moone in Co Kildare, one of the more successful yards currently operating in Irish racing — 54 winners sent out this season alone. Taipan is the kind of horse every yard needs: not always flashy, but dependable, tough, and occasionally capable of pulling something special out of the bag. His most regular partner in the saddle is Shane Foley, who has ridden him in 11 of his 23 races and won twice together, winning roughly 1 in every 5 rides — a good relationship by any measure.

His last win came at Galway on 1 August 2025, and while recent form shows two eighth-place finishes and a blank run in his latest three outings, the team is not pressing the panic button. Harrington has been specific about the plan: find a conditions race to get him back in the groove, then point him back towards Galway later in the year, with Listowel also on the radar. There has even been talk of a tilt at the Cesarewitch — a long-distance race run at Newmarket in England — which fits neatly with the trainer's observation that the further Taipan goes, the better he goes.

He is described inside the yard as a legend, and while that might sound like stable affection talking, the record at Galway gives it some substance. He is not a horse who wins often, but when the conditions suit and the big occasion arrives, he has a habit of delivering. For a yard with 54 winners this season, Taipan may not be the headline act — but he is clearly one of the most loved.