Al Riffa

His partnership with jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle tells a similar story. The two have raced together nine times and won four of them — that is winning almost 1 in every 2 races, which is a remarkable number. McMonagle is clearly no neutral observer either. After their last win together at The Curragh in September 2025, he said Al Riffa "relaxes well and has got a good kick when you need it," adding that the horse is one of his favourites and "owes me nothing." High praise from a jockey who rides at the top level every week.

At distances of seven furlongs to a mile, Al Riffa has won 2 of his 3 races — again, a 67% win rate that suggests the yard knows exactly where his sweet spot lies. Trainer Joseph O'Brien, who operates one of Ireland's most powerful yards with 154 winners already this season, has spoken about Al Riffa running consistently well at a high level, and believes a slight drop in grade could give him a live chance when he returns. That matters, because Al Riffa has been off the track for around three months and comes back needing to prove he is as sharp as ever.

His recent form reads two seconds followed by two wins — a horse finding his best at exactly the right time. The blank at the start of his last six runs came at Flemington in Australia, where O'Brien was candid enough to admit the race setup did not suit and the horse simply did not get the run of things. "He'll have other days," the trainer said, and given everything Al Riffa has done at The Curragh, that is not blind optimism — it is a pretty reasonable expectation.