Norn Iron

The first win arrived at Plumpton in April 2025, and jockey Paul O'Brien was refreshingly honest about what it took to get there. He explained that Norn Iron had been running well and finishing second without doing anything wrong — it was simply a matter of finding the right opportunity. The team had deliberately targeted a softer race to get that first win on the board before pointing him at a new challenge. Sure enough, the horse has now stepped into chase races and thrived. His most recent win came at Sandown Park in March 2026, just eight weeks ago, and he raced again only yesterday, underlining just how busy and how well he currently is.

The wet ground angle is worth noting. In five races on wet or muddy ground, Norn Iron has won twice — a 40% win rate, or 2 in every 5 races in those conditions. That is a meaningful edge. Many horses tolerate soft ground; this one appears to relish it. His regular partner Paul O'Brien has a similarly strong record on him, winning 2 of their 5 races together, roughly 1 in every 2-and-a-half outings — an unusually productive partnership for any horse at this level.

The one puzzle in the record is that Norn Iron has yet to win at Class 4, going 0 from 6 in those races. That is curious given his overall form, but it likely reflects where he spent much of his earlier career before the team found his sweet spot. Harry Derham's yard has been in outstanding form this season — 53 winners and counting — and with Norn Iron apparently in the best form of his life, there is every reason to think the best of this horse may still be ahead of him.