King Cuan

This week alone he took a race at The Curragh, and that victory follows a spell of encouragement. In his last six outings he has won once, placed twice, and only once failed to trouble the scorers entirely. That kind of consistency — winning or placing in 5 out of 6 races — suggests a horse in a good place right now, even if one flat performance crept in among the results. He is actively racing and clearly doing enough to warrant continued opportunities from his yard.

His partnership with jockey W J Lee is particularly interesting. The two have combined twelve times, with Lee in the saddle for four of King Cuan's five career wins. That is a 40% win rate when they work together — markedly better than the horse's overall figures — which hints at a real understanding between rider and horse. Lee seems to know how to get the best out of him. The horse was first saddled by trainer P. Twomey at Cork in September 2023, and that early success has blossomed into a career that shows real promise. Twomey's yard, based in Cashel, Co Tipperary, has been firing on all cylinders this season with thirty-five winners already, and King Cuan remains a genuine contributor to that tally.

One final detail stands out: King Cuan has become something of a specialist at Naas, winning two of his three races there. That kind of track record at a specific course is often a sign that the horse knows the lay of the land and runs to his strengths when the conditions suit. For anyone following his progress, keeping an eye on where he is entered next — and especially whether Naas is in the mix — could be worthwhile.