Hero Of The Hour

The partnership with jockey James Ryan is arguably the most interesting thread running through this horse's career. In 22 races together, Ryan has steered Hero Of The Hour to 4 wins — a win rate of 18%, or roughly 1 in every 5 rides. That is meaningfully better than the horse's overall record of 1 win in every 8 races, which tells you something real: when Ryan is in the saddle, something clicks. Whether that is down to feel, familiarity, or simply good timing, the numbers suggest the combination is worth watching.

Trained by William Delahunty out of Mullinavat in County Kilkenny, Hero Of The Hour represents a small yard that has sent out 3 winners already this season — so they are not without form. The horse's most recent victory came at Down Royal on 18 July 2025, which at this point is now roughly a year ago. Since then it has gone 6 races without winning, and the last 6 results — finishing 6th, then off the track, then 5th, 4th, 12th, and 10th most recently — paint a picture of a horse that has been struggling to recapture its best.

It was first career win came at Dundalk back in January 2023, so Hero Of The Hour is not a newcomer to the winner's enclosure. But at 9 years old, with a year now passed since its last success, the question hanging over its next outing is whether that Down Royal win was the final chapter or simply a pause before something more. The fact that it raced just one day ago confirms it is still very much active, and in racing, you only need one good day to rewrite the story.