Private Policy

Look at the last six races and you see a horse that has quietly found its feet. A third, then a fourth, then an eleventh — which looks like a blip — before bouncing straight back with a fourth, a win, and then a fifth most recently. That win, the breakthrough moment of Private Policy's career, came at Punchestown on 13 May 2026, just four weeks ago. Punchestown is one of Ireland's most celebrated tracks, a venue that hosts some of the biggest occasions in the jumping calendar, so getting off the mark there is no small thing for a horse still finding its way at the age of eight.

The partnership with jockey Paddy Cleary is worth noting. The two have raced together five times, and that sole career win came with Cleary in the saddle. One win from five rides together works out at 20%, or 1 in every 5 — which is a meaningfully better return than Private Policy's overall career average suggests. When these two line up together, something clearly clicks.

Still active and having raced just yesterday, Private Policy is a horse right in the thick of its season. Whether the Punchestown win marks a turning point or a one-off peak remains to be seen, but at eight years old, with form that has been trending in the right direction, it is a horse worth watching whenever Cleary takes the reins.