Blue Reed

That single win came at Kilbeggan on 31 May 2026, just seven weeks ago, and it mattered. With only a 3% win rate across its career — roughly one win every 30 races — Blue Reed made its breakthrough count at exactly the right time. Kilbeggan is a sharp, tight track in the Irish midlands that suits horses who know their job, and Blue Reed clearly did on the day.

Recent form offers some genuine encouragement. Reading the last six runs from most recent backwards — 7, 2, 1, a blank, 4, and another blank — there is a clear upward curve in the middle of that sequence, with the win sandwiched between a fourth and a runner-up. The horse raced just one day ago, so it is clearly in active training and being kept busy by Cian Collins, who operates out of Navan in Co Meath. Collins has sent out 20 winners already this season, which suggests a yard in good form and not short of confidence when they put a horse on the lorry.

The one caveat worth noting is the partnership with regular jockey Carl Millar, who has yet to get Blue Reed into the winner's enclosure across their five rides together. That is not necessarily a problem — plenty of horse-and-rider combinations take time to click — but it is a number worth watching as the season continues.