Conyers Hill

Nolan, based at Enniscorthy in Co. Wexford, is candid about the puzzle his horse presents. Conyers Hill travels beautifully through races, giving jockeys every reason for optimism, but the moment he hits the front he tends to switch off and do as little as possible. It is a frustrating quirk — the horse has the ability to win but seems to lack the competitive instinct to go looking for trouble. His most trusted partner in the saddle, Sean O'Keeffe, has ridden him in 14 of his races and won 3 of them, a win rate of 21% — or just over 1 in every 5 rides together — which is a genuinely decent return given how little the horse tends to give when asked.

The last win came at Down Royal in January 2025, now 16 months ago, and Nolan's post-race comments that day told their own story — he described the horse as "sticky" at his fences and noted that he had to battle, which for Conyers Hill apparently qualifies as a minor revelation. He had also shown something similar at Cork after his debut win at Clonmel in September 2023, jumping slickly but shutting down the moment he reached the lead. A fourth-place finish at the Cheltenham Festival's Paddy Power Gold Cup — one of the most competitive chases in Britain — suggests there is real class here. Getting into a race like that and finishing fourth is not something an ordinary horse does.

With six races now since that last win, Nolan is adjusting his thinking. He believes the horse is settling better and wants to try riding him more prominently — not leading, but close enough to the pace that he has less time to switch off. It is a small tactical tweak, but for a horse this consistent and this frustrating, sometimes that is all it takes.