Uxmal

The standout moment of Uxmal's career so far came on 22 June 2024 at Ascot, where it won the Queen Alexandra — a top-class race, one of the best in Britain — over a marathon distance. The jockey's words after the race said everything: "I just hit the front and I could really hear the noise." That is what a big-race winner sounds like. The prep work had been done quietly, a run at Killarney beforehand to sharpen up, and Uxmal delivered when it mattered most. It was the kind of performance that sticks in the memory.

What the numbers back up is something the trainer has been clear about — this horse has serious stamina. Over distances of two miles or more, Uxmal has won 2 of its 4 races, a 50% win rate that is extraordinary at any level, let alone in top company. The horse's recent form before that break reads 1-1-1, meaning it won three races on the spin coming into that Ascot victory. That is a horse peaking at exactly the right time.

The one complication is the gap since then. Uxmal has not raced for roughly five months — around 174 days — because a small physical problem picked up at Ascot ruled out the rest of last season. O'Brien has been open about it: the plan is to work back gradually, targeting the same Queen Alexandra race again. The trainer's yard has sent out 154 winners this season alone, which tells you this is not a small operation hoping for luck. It is a well-resourced team with a clear plan. A 7-year-old returning from a break after a course-and-distance top-race win, trained by one of jump racing's most productive yards, heading back to the exact race it already conquered — there is a lot to like here if Uxmal comes back moving as well as it left.