Brave Brigadier

What makes the next chapter interesting is the long gap since we last saw Brave Brigadier on a track. It has been roughly twelve months since the horse last raced, and that kind of extended absence always raises questions. Has something been brewing in the background that warranted patience, or is this simply a yard that takes its time? Trainer Thomas Gibney, based in Trim, Co. Meath, has sent out five winners already this season, so the operation is clearly in decent form. When a yard is winning races and then brings a horse back from a year off, it is worth paying attention — they tend not to rush a horse out for the sake of it.

The key question now is whether those two placed finishes translate into a first win when Brave Brigadier finally returns. A horse that has finished second twice in a row knows how to race — it just needs everything to click. At six years old, there is still time.