Murat

At seven years old, Murat is in the prime of its racing life, and the recent form suggests it is running as well as ever. Looking at the last six races — the most recent first — the sequence reads 1, 7, 4, 1, 2, 1. Strip that back and what you see is a horse that has won 3 of its last 6, with two near-misses either side of a poor run in the middle. That blip at seventh barely registers given what came before and after it, and the overall picture is of a horse that keeps finding the winner's enclosure on a fairly regular basis.

The career started in earnest with a first win at Killarney in August 2024, and since then Murat has kept building. The most recent victory came at Leopardstown just this week — one of the most prestigious tracks in Ireland — which tells you this is not a horse that only beats modest rivals at quiet meetings. Winning at Leopardstown means beating decent competition on a big stage.

Behind the horse is Peter Lawlor, training out of Donard in County Wicklow. It is a yard that has sent out 6 winners already this season, and Murat is clearly a central part of why. Small yards that punch out winners at this kind of rate tend to do so through sharp preparation and knowing their horses well — and everything about Murat's record suggests Lawlor has this one figured out. With the horse only having raced yesterday and still very much in active campaign, there is every reason to think the wins are not done yet.