Ryan's Rocket

The most recent evidence of that came just this week, when Ryan's Rocket won at Aintree on 9 April 2026 — one of British racing's most famous venues, and not somewhere that forgives weakness. That result means he has won 2 of his last 6 races, with a gap or two in between that suggest the team manage him carefully rather than running him into the ground. O'Brien's yard has sent out 90 winners this season alone, so this is a well-oiled operation that knows exactly when and where to place a horse.

Where Ryan's Rocket really thrives is at Class 4 level — one step below the big national prizes, but far from easy pickings. He has won 3 of his 5 races at that level, a 60% win rate that is frankly remarkable. Three wins from five attempts at the same grade means he is not just competitive there, he is dominant. His most regular partner, jockey Jonathan Burke, has ridden him eight times and won together twice — roughly 1 in every 4 races — a solid and trusted combination.

What adds a layer of frustration and intrigue to this story is what happened over Christmas at Kempton, in the Desert Orchid Chase. O'Brien spoke candidly about Ryan's Rocket unseating his rider that day, pointing out that he and one other horse were the only ones still travelling easily at the time. That is racing's cruel arithmetic — the best run can vanish in a moment. But the trainer was clearly buoyed rather than deflated, noting that the Grand Annual at Cheltenham's Festival suits this horse's style perfectly.

Burke himself offered a glimpse into how the team think about this horse after a winter run at Kempton: kept ticking over through the cold months, improving physically, but ready for a break and better ground. There is a sense of a horse being built towards something. This week's Aintree win suggests that build is going exactly to plan.