Champ Kiely

His recent form makes interesting reading: a win, a second, and then three finishes in the top eight from his last six races. That dip in the middle — including one blank run — is not unusual for a horse campaigned at this level, and his last outing was only yesterday, so he is very much a live, active competitor. His most recent win came at Punchestown in April 2025, and jockey Danny Mullins — who partners him in half his races and has won 3 of their 6 outings together — described a horse who jumped with such confidence that by halfway he already knew he was going to win. "Champ Kiely put his head down between the last two," Mullins said, "and a good jump at the last sealed it."

What makes Champ Kiely particularly interesting is his versatility. Trainer Willie Mullins has noted that despite winning a Grade 1 race — one of the top races in the sport — over three miles, he is equally effective over shorter distances. Paul Townend, who rode him at Navan, spoke about a horse who "loves jumping fences" and, whenever a rival crept alongside him, simply found more. That competitive instinct is the sort of thing you cannot train into a horse — it is just there, or it is not.

On slightly wet ground, Champ Kiely has won 2 of his 3 races, a 67% win rate that flags up conditions worth watching for. Willie Mullins has hinted at the prestigious John Durkan Chase as a possible next target, with something around Christmas in mind too. For a ten-year-old who is racing and winning at the highest level, that is a bold schedule — and entirely believable given what this horse has shown.