Duckadilly

The career started at Naas in May 2024, and what has followed since is the profile of a horse that rarely runs a bad race. Only two of its last six runs have produced a finish outside the places — a blank and a tenth — with two wins and two other placed efforts filling the rest. The most recent of those wins came just this week at Leopardstown, which is one of Ireland's most prestigious tracks. Winning there isn't something any horse can simply turn up and do, and doing it in July 2026 means Duckadilly arrives at this moment in its career with real momentum.

The most intriguing number in Duckadilly's file is the one beside Ben Coen's name. Coen, a top-level jockey, has partnered this horse in 5 of its 11 races and has yet to ride it to victory — 0 wins from 5 attempts. That's not necessarily anyone's fault; these things happen. But both of Duckadilly's recent wins have come without him in the saddle, which is the sort of detail that makes you wonder whether a different partnership has unlocked something new in the horse.

Behind the scenes, Daniel McLoughlin's yard in Newbridge, Co Kildare has been in solid form this season with 9 winners already on the board. McLoughlin isn't one of the enormous operations that dominates the headlines every week, so 9 winners represents a healthy, productive season for his team. Having a horse like Duckadilly — consistent, winning at a top venue, and racing just yesterday — at the centre of things will only help that tally grow. With form this good and a Leopardstown win fresh on its record, there's every reason to think the best is still to come.