In Excelsis Deo

The story starts at Hereford in December 2022, where In Excelsis Deo announced itself by winning on its chasing debut — something Bolger later admitted caught even the yard off guard. After that, the horse was pushed up sharply in grade and found things considerably tougher, which is exactly what you would expect. But rather than fold, it kept showing up, kept running well, and kept finishing close without quite getting the luck it needed. That pattern of near-misses was precisely what made the Cheltenham win in April 2024 feel like something owed. Bolger's post-race words told the story clearly: relief, not surprise. The horse had been consistent, Jonathan Burke had ridden it beautifully, nursing it into contention, and when it hit the famous Cheltenham hill it responded the way good horses do.

Burke has been the regular partner throughout, riding it in 8 of its 19 races together and winning once — that 1-from-8 record at 12% looks modest until you consider that In Excelsis Deo runs at the very top level, where winners are hard to come by for anyone. At Class 1 races specifically, the horse has won 1 from 4, which is 25% — a genuinely strong record at that rarefied level.

The concern now is time. It has not won in its last 6 races, and that Cheltenham victory was 26 months ago. The recent form figures — a sixth, a fifth, and a string of mid-pack finishes — suggest a horse that is trying without quite finding the same spark. Bolger's yard has sent out 14 winners this season, so the operation around it remains in good health. Whether In Excelsis Deo, who raced as recently as yesterday, can find that Cheltenham feeling again is the open question. But a horse that has already won one of racing's top prizes at 8 years old has already done more than most.