El Cairos

His recent form tells an interesting story. After winning at Thurles at the end of January, El Cairos has had three runs without getting his nose in front—a seventh, a fourth, and a fifth—before a run at Leopardstown most recently where he picked up a place. That Thurles win, though, came wrapped in a lesson about jockey error. Jack Kennedy, who has ridden him in five races and won once together, admitted afterward that he simply hadn't asked the horse to do anything at the last fence; El Cairos galloped up on it anyway and won, which tells you something about his attitude. Elliott clearly saw potential in that performance and wanted to build his confidence with a race run at a slower pace rather than throw him into a Grade 1, the kind of thinking that separates good yards from lucky ones.

Kennedy is his regular partner, though that 20 percent win rate together—1 win from 5 races—suggests the pairing hasn't quite clicked consistently yet. What Elliott has said in the parade ring and after races paints a horse who looks physically impressive and is working well at home. The trainer has one eye on the Supreme, one of the top races in Britain, and if El Cairos can find his form again, he has the raw speed to be competitive. Right now though, he is in that waiting phase: proven at winning level but needing to show he can string together the kind of consistent performance required at the highest stage.