Irish Nectar

Herrington worked that out the hard way. The five-year-old spent a long time doing too much too early in its races — burning energy in the first half that it needed for the finish. The breakthrough came at Nottingham in September 2023, when jockey Jamie Spencer was given clear instructions to get the horse settled and let it come late. It worked. Irish Nectar picked up nicely and won. The same approach worked again next time at York, and suddenly a horse that had looked frustrating started to look like one with a plan.

The most recent win came at Doncaster in October 2024 — now 20 months ago — which is a gap worth noting. Since then, Irish Nectar has gone six races without getting back to the winner's enclosure, with a second place the best of it. It raced just yesterday, finishing tenth, so this is a horse very much in the thick of its season. Whether another wet day at the right track brings it back to form is the question Herrington will be watching the weather forecast to answer.

Shane Gray is the rider most associated with Irish Nectar, and the record together is strong — 2 wins from 9 races (22%), which comfortably beats the horse's overall average. Most of Irish Nectar's races come at Class 3 level, one step below the very top tier, and the yard itself is in good shape with 33 winners on the board this season. If the rain comes and Gray is in the saddle, this is a horse that has shown it can deliver.