American Affair

The spring and summer of 2025 told the story most clearly. American Affair won three times in quick succession — at Musselburgh in April, York in May, and then Ascot in June — each one a top-level or near-top-level race. That Ascot win was a Class 1, one of the biggest races in Britain, and it came at the home of Royal Ascot, the sport's most famous meeting. For a horse trained out of a small yard in Lanarkshire, that is a serious statement. Trainer Jim Goldie had flagged his ambitions early, entering him for the King Charles Stakes at Royal Ascot, and the horse duly delivered. Goldie's yard has sent out 88 winners this season alone, so this is not a one-horse operation — but American Affair feels like the jewel in its crown.

The relationship with jockey Paul Mulrennan is central to the story. Together they have won 7 of their 17 races — that is 41%, winning well over 2 in every 5 times they team up. Mulrennan has spoken openly about learning how to ride him, describing how switching to an ice-cold, patient approach at Doncaster in September 2024 unlocked something. He had been running too keenly, finishing without really delivering his full effort. Once they found the right rhythm, the horse responded. Mulrennan's observation after Doncaster — that he was "still very babyish and raw" — makes what followed feel all the more exciting.

American Affair has now been off the track for around nine months, which is a long break. He last ran at Ascot in June 2025, winning. Everything about his recent form — 4 wins from his last 6 races, all at Class 2 or better — suggests a horse who arrived at the top level right before the break. The question when he returns is simply whether that form has been preserved. If it has, he is already one of the most interesting sprinters in training.