Stumptown

The nine-year-old has built a record that holds up anywhere you look at it: 8 wins and 12 places from 26 races, meaning it wins roughly 1 in every 3 races it runs and finishes in the money almost four times out of five. That's not a horse that flukes the odd result — that's a horse that consistently performs. The recent form makes the point even more sharply: four wins from its last six races, with that sequence including back-to-back Class 2 wins at Cheltenham in December 2024 and January 2024, and then a third at the track as recently as March 2025. Class 2 races are among the top competitions in Britain, so winning three of them at the same venue is a genuinely remarkable feat.

The partnership with jockey Keith Donoghue is worth noting. In 11 races together, they've won 4 times — a win rate of 36%, or just over 1 in 3. That's a meaningful connection between horse and rider, and Donoghue clearly understands what makes Stumptown tick.

Behind the scenes, Stumptown is trained by Gavin Cromwell at his yard in Navan, County Meath. Cromwell has sent out 94 winners this season alone, which tells you this is a serious, high-functioning operation — not a small yard catching a lucky break, but a trainer who knows exactly how to place and prepare a horse to win. Stumptown is arguably his headline act right now.

Still active — last seen on a racecourse just 18 days ago — this is a nine-year-old operating at the peak of its powers rather than winding down. Its first career win came back in October 2021 at Limerick, and the journey from that debut success in Ireland to becoming a Cheltenham specialist is a satisfying arc. Whatever comes next, Stumptown has already earned its place in the story of this season.