Energumene

The bulk of those wins have come at Cork, where Energumene has won 3 of 4 races — a record that qualifies as outright domination of a single track. Something about that place suits this horse, whether it is the layout, the ground, or simply familiarity built up over years. Its first ever career win came at Cork in December 2021, and it returned to win there again in December 2024, its most recent victory, now 16 months ago. When a horse keeps going back to the same well and keeps drinking, you notice.

The bigger picture is just as impressive. Energumene has won twice at Cheltenham — the most famous and fiercely competitive jumping venue in the world — taking Class 1 races there in consecutive years, March 2022 and March 2023. These are not ordinary races. Class 1 events are the ones that define careers, the races trainers and owners dream about. Winning one is special. Winning two, back to back, at the same festival, is the kind of thing that earns a horse a permanent place in people's memories.

Behind the scenes, this is a Willie Mullins operation. Mullins, based in County Carlow, is arguably the most powerful racing yard in the sport right now — his team has sent out 237 winners this season alone, a number that is frankly staggering. Within that machine, Energumene has been primarily steered by Paul Townend, one of the best jockeys around, who has ridden the horse to 6 of its 7 wins from 13 races together. That is a partnership winning at a rate of 46%, which tells you Townend knows exactly what this horse needs and how to get the best out of it.

At 12 years old, Energumene is into the later chapters of its career. A 56-day break since its last run suggests the team is managing it carefully. But with recent form reading two thirds and a runner-up sandwiched around some solid efforts, there is clearly still plenty left in the tank.