Dawn Rising

The numbers tell the tale. Over distances of two miles or longer, Dawn Rising wins roughly 1 in every 4 races — 4 wins from 17 starts. That is a genuinely strong return at that trip, and it explains why trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien keeps running it at the longer distances. The horse's best win came in a top-level race at Ascot in June 2023, when rider Ryan Moore allowed it to find its rhythm and build gradually through the race. Moore later described it simply: the horse was finding plenty. That is the kind of performance that lingers — a horse given time to settle, allowed to travel through a race on its own terms, and then uncorked when it mattered. A similar masterclass came at The Curragh in November 2024, when it won going away, with the jockey saying it was loving the task. Those are the Days when everything clicks.

But that Curragh win, now more than a year in the past, remains its most recent victory. Over the last six runs, the horse has managed only a second place and two thirds — respectable finishes, but nothing more. Its record with regular rider Declan McDonogh is a blank slate: zero wins from six races together. O'Brien, based at Owning Hill in Co Kilkenny and running a prolific yard of 160 winners this season, acknowledged recently that the horse needs to rediscover its form. He suggested it typically needs a few runs to get sharp again, and expressed hope that it might bounce back. That belief matters — trainers do not waste their breath on horses they have given up on. Dawn Rising remains active and recently raced just a day ago, suggesting O'Brien still has faith. For a nine-year-old stayer, there is time yet to find another day like those at Ascot and The Curragh.