Mordor

The recent form is what really catches the eye. In the last six races, Mordor has won twice — including a victory at Navan just this week — sandwiched around a couple of runner-up finishes. That 14th place in the mix looks like an off day, the kind every horse has, but the bookending wins suggest it was exactly that: a blip, not a trend. First breaking through at Sligo in July 2024, Mordor has continued to build on that foundation rather than trade on it.

The distance question is interesting. Over 1 mile 6 furlongs to 2 miles, Mordor has won 2 from 4 races — that is a 50% win rate, which is a genuinely extraordinary return. It suggests this is a horse that wants a proper test of stamina rather than a sprint, and when it gets the right trip on normal ground, it becomes a very different proposition. Two wins from 6 races on standard conditions points the same way: get the setup right, and the results follow.

The step up to Class 2 — one of the top levels of racing in Britain and Ireland — has so far produced 0 wins from 4 attempts, which is honest information rather than damning evidence. Plenty of very good horses find that level a stretch, and the fact Mordor keeps getting entered there tells you Elliott and the team believe there is more to come.

Speaking of Elliott's yard: 209 winners in a single season is a staggering number, the product of one of the most powerful racing operations in Ireland. Sam Ewing, who rides Mordor most regularly, has won 2 of their 6 races together — 1 in every 3, which is an excellent ratio. With a win just days ago and form pointing firmly upward, Mordor looks like a horse in the form of its life.