Linden Arden

The overall record tells a solid story on its own: 5 wins and 10 further placed finishes from 26 races, which works out at just under 1 win in every 5 outings across a career. That is respectable rather than spectacular — but the recent form is where things get genuinely interesting. In the last 6 races, Linden Arden has won twice, finished second once, fifth once, and seventh once, with one poor run mixed in at eleventh. Two wins from six races is a horse in form, and the most recent of those wins came at Punchestown on New Year's Eve 2025, just three months ago.

The partnership with jockey Brian Hayes is worth noting too. In 21 races together, Hayes has steered Linden Arden to all 5 of its career wins — a win rate of 24%, or roughly 1 in every 4 rides together. That is a meaningful connection between horse and jockey, the kind where both seem to bring out the best in each other. It is no surprise that Kelly keeps putting Hayes in the saddle.

Kelly himself is having a productive season, with 16 winners already sent out from his base in Rathvin, Co Tipperary. Linden Arden, now 8 years old and clearly not slowing down, is one of his more reliable performers. The horse first won at Punchestown back in February 2024 and has made that track feel like home ever since. With the horse still active and last seen racing just a week ago, there is every reason to think we have not seen the last of Linden Arden at a track it has learned to love.