Kerdos

The two Class 1 victories tell the real story. He won at Beverley in September 2023, and his trainer at the time described him as a horse with a big kick — a turn of pace in the final stages — who had simply needed fine tuning to show what he could do. Less than a year later, he went one better at Haydock Park in May 2024, a track where he had also taken his first career win back in September 2022. Winning twice at the same major track is not a coincidence; it suggests Haydock suits the way he races.

His most recent win came at Dundalk just this week, which keeps him firmly in the picture heading into what looks like a busy summer. It is worth noting that his regular partner in the saddle, Rossa Ryan, has ridden him seven times without winning together — sometimes that is simply how sport works, but it does suggest the horse finds his best form in specific circumstances rather than consistently for any one rider.

Thorne's yard has sent out 24 winners already this season, which means Kerdos is not the only one earning his keep in County Dublin. But a horse with two top-level wins, a placed finish in a Commonwealth Cup, and a fresh victory this week is not just making up the numbers. At 6, he is in the prime years of his racing life, and if the team can keep him healthy — his season opener was hampered by a bruised foot — there is clearly still more to come.