Jongleur d'Etoiles

The partnership with jockey Richie McLernon is worth noting. In 14 races together, the pair have won 4 times — that is winning almost 1 in every 3.5 races, well above Jongleur d'Etoiles's overall average. Something clearly clicks between horse and rider, and when Mulholland sends this one out, McLernon is usually the man in the saddle for good reason.

Wet or muddy ground brings out the best in this horse. Two wins from just 5 races on soft or heavy ground gives a win rate of 40% — almost 2 in every 5 starts — which is a striking number. For comparison, across all ground types the rate drops to 1 in 5. In other words, when the weather has been unkind to everyone else, Jongleur d'Etoiles has quietly been in its element.

The trainer's comments from November suggest the next chapter is already being written. Mulholland believes the horse jumps fences well at home and has the scope to step up from hurdle racing to the bigger obstacles — a significant transition that often separates the good from the very good. His four hurdle wins came at the cost of a 29lb rise in the weights, which is the handicapper's way of saying the horse kept winning and they had to keep making it harder. That kind of upward pressure is a compliment in disguise.

The most recent win came at Fontwell Park in May 2025, and Mulholland was candid that the track's tight turns did not entirely suit — he was there for the ground conditions rather than the layout. That context matters. A horse that performs well somewhere that does not quite fit its style, while the trainer is already looking ahead to new obstacles, is one with more to give. At seven years old, Jongleur d'Etoiles looks like a horse still finding its ceiling.