Kings Hill

What makes Kings Hill genuinely interesting right now is that his two career victories are separated by over a year — the first at Thurles in February 2024, the second at Limerick just three weeks ago — and he arrives at this profile having raced as recently as yesterday. This is an active, busy horse in the middle of a campaign, not a name being dusted off for nostalgia. His recent form reads 3-1-5-4-3-11 from his last six runs, which shows a horse that was knocking on the door before that Limerick win landed, and has kept running since. The 11th-place finish is the one blip in an otherwise competitive sequence.

The partnership with jockey Jack G Gilligan is central to everything. They've raced together 17 times, which is a proper, established combination, and both wins in Kings Hill's career have come with Gilligan in the saddle — a win rate of 12% together, or roughly 1 in every 8 rides. That consistency of rider matters. A horse and jockey who know each other well tend to find the small margins that decide tight finishes, and this pair have clearly built something that works.

Behind it all is trainer Paul John Gilligan, based in Athenry in County Galway. The yard has sent out five winners already this season, which suggests things are ticking along nicely. A small operation finding winners at this rate is a yard operating with purpose, and Kings Hill's recent success at Limerick is exactly the kind of result that reflects well on how a horse is being managed. He's seven, he's winning, and he's still racing. There's clearly something left in the tank.