Hesgonethatway

Then came Naas on 7th February 2026, and something clicked. That first career win, just seven weeks ago, was the moment that changes how you read everything else. It's not unusual for a horse to take time to figure things out — some need a particular track, a particular day, a particular set of conditions — and Naas appears to have been exactly the right place at the right time. Whether that win is a one-off or the start of something is the question worth watching.

He's trained by P J Rothwell, whose yard is based in Tinahely, County Wicklow, and the operation is clearly in good form right now — 35 winners sent out already this season, which is a serious body of work and suggests a yard that knows how to get a horse ready to run well. Hesgonethatway has had a 38-day break since that Naas victory, which is long enough to freshen up but short enough to suggest the team believes there's more to come. When a trainer wins with a horse and then gives it a brief rest rather than immediately running it again, that's usually a sign of quiet confidence rather than concern.

Six races into his career, Hesgonethatway remains largely unproven at the top level — but every good story has a slow start. The name might have seemed like a joke when he was trailing home in 10th and 12th. Right now, it sounds a little more like a promise.