Champagne Kid

The career didn't get going until September 2024, when Champagne Kid broke through for a first win at Listowel. That's a famous jumping festival on the south-west coast of Ireland, known for its festive atmosphere and competitive fields, so it's no soft touch as a place to get off the mark. From there, the horse has found a level of consistency that's genuinely encouraging: 2 wins from the last 6 races is a solid return, and the recent form line of 5-9-dash-1-1-3 tells an interesting story. Two back-to-back wins followed by a third place suggests a horse that hit a purple patch and has come back down to earth only slightly.

The most significant of those wins came at Leopardstown on 29 December 2025 — a track that carries real prestige in Irish racing, particularly over the Christmas festival period when the competition sharpens considerably. Winning there is worth noting, and it's the kind of result that gives the team genuine confidence that Champagne Kid can perform on a big stage.

That team is trainer P E Collins, based at Bessbrook in County Down, a small yard that has punched out 4 winners already this season. Four winners from a presumably modest string is solid, efficient work — this isn't a sprawling operation with horses to burn, so every winner means something. Champagne Kid, with its 3 career wins and proven ability to run well consistently, is clearly one of the yard's reliable performers.

The blank in that recent form line is worth noting — a non-completion of some kind — but it hasn't derailed things. With a race as recently as yesterday, Champagne Kid is clearly fit, active, and still being aimed at targets. For a 7-year-old with a Leopardstown win on the CV and a trainer getting results this season, there's every reason to keep watching.