Brighterdaysahead

The peak of her career so far came at Aintree this week, when she won a Class 1 race — one of the most prestigious events in British racing. It is actually the second time she has won at Aintree at that level, having done the same in April 2024. That kind of repeat performance at a top venue, on the biggest stage, is what separates the very good from the genuinely elite. She also has a particular affinity for Leopardstown in Ireland, winning 2 of her 3 races there. When a horse keeps winning at the same tracks, it usually means the course suits them perfectly — the shape of the bends, the distances, the ground. Whatever it is, Leopardstown brings out something special in her.

She is trained by Gordon Elliott at his yard in Longwood, County Meath — one of the most powerful operations in jump racing, having sent out 209 winners already this season. Elliott has made no secret of how much he thinks of her, and the owner's post-race comments after a narrow defeat to the brilliant Lossiemouth at Cheltenham told their own story: not excuses, but genuine frustration that a horse he rates so highly came so close and still fell short. The plan had been to switch her to fences this season, but a spell of missed time in the autumn changed that, and as Elliott noted, she used the extra time to keep improving over hurdles — enough to run Lossiemouth to a finish in the Irish Champion Hurdle, one of the best races of the season.

Her regular partner is Jack Kennedy, and the two clearly understand each other. In 11 races together he has won 6 of them — just over half — and at Leopardstown, Kennedy executed a perfectly judged front-running ride when the pace was slow, dragging his horse into a battle she thrives in. Elliott's own words sum her up neatly: very, very tough, and she stays. In a sport full of fragile, short-lived brilliance, those two qualities are worth more than most.