Gateau De Miel

The most recent win, at Stratford-on-Avon just this week, is the clearest sign yet that Gateau De Miel is in decent form. The horse has finished first or fourth in four of its last six races, suggesting a consistent, competitive animal rather than one that blows hot and cold. Jockey Darragh O'Keeffe noted after one of those runs that the horse travelled well, jumped fluently, and actually came on from the run before — which is exactly what you want to hear about a horse at this stage of its career. "Hopefully there might be more to come from him," O'Keeffe said, and that is not something jockeys tend to say lightly.

Rachael Blackmore, one of the most celebrated jockeys in the sport, has ridden Gateau De Miel five times and won once — a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5 rides together. That partnership produced a win at Fairyhouse back in November 2022, and trainer Fergal O'Brien was full of praise for how that went. O'Brien had worried beforehand about the ground being too wet, but the horse handled it well. It turned out the key was finding the right conditions — O'Brien admitted he had been running the horse on ground that simply did not suit, and once he adjusted, things improved.

O'Brien trains out of Withington in Gloucestershire and has sent out 90 winners this season alone. That is a yard firing on all cylinders, and having a horse like Gateau De Miel in that environment — experienced, clearly still competitive, and versatile enough to win at different tracks — matters. At Class 4 level, where most of this horse's best races have come, the record reads 1 win from 3 races, which is a strong 33% win rate at that tier.

At ten, Gateau De Miel is not a young prospect chasing future glory. It is a seasoned, likeable horse that knows its job, handles different tracks, and is clearly enjoying its racing right now. Sometimes that is the most satisfying kind.