Tower Of London

Trained by Aidan P O'Brien at Cashel in County Tipperary — one of the most famous yards in the world, which has sent out 144 winners already this season alone — Tower of London has been partnered most often by Ryan Moore, one of the sport's elite jockeys. Together they've won 4 of their 7 races, a remarkable 57% win rate. When those two are working in combination, something usually happens.

The horse has a very clear preference for normal ground conditions, winning 5 of 7 races on a standard surface — that's 71%. O'Brien has noted the horse quickens brilliantly and settles beautifully before producing a burst of speed late, which suits a flat, fast track. Leopardstown, where Tower of London had its first career win back in July 2022, has been a particularly happy hunting ground: 2 wins from 4 races there. When the ground is right and the track suits, this horse becomes very hard to beat.

What's slightly puzzling is how it performs when the competition steps up to the very highest level — in three top-tier Class 1 races, it hasn't yet managed a win. The team around the horse seem aware of this, with O'Brien suggesting after a strong win at Meydan that Ryan Moore himself felt the horse might be better dropping back in distance rather than tackling the very longest races. That self-awareness from the camp is interesting — they know what they have, and they're not going to force it.

The other thing worth noting is the absence. Tower of London hasn't raced for roughly 12 months, with its last win coming at The Curragh in July 2024. Long gaps like this are always worth watching closely — sometimes a horse returns better than ever, sometimes it takes a run or two to rediscover its best form. Given the talent on display over a career that has barely put a foot wrong, and with a yard this powerful behind it, Tower of London is absolutely one to follow whenever it reappears.