The King Of Prs

The most telling number in his record is what happens when the ground gets heavy and waterlogged. On very wet and muddy ground, he has won 2 of his 4 races — a remarkable 50% conversion rate that suggests he absolutely thrives when lesser horses are struggling through the mud. His trainer knows it too, and it is no coincidence that his most recent win came at Fairyhouse in January 2025, in the kind of conditions that suits him best. That victory in the Dan Moore Memorial Chase was a proper scalp, but it came with a consequence: a rise in the weights that Cromwell has openly admitted leaves him less well placed in similar races now. He won it, and the handicapper made him pay for it.

His record at the very top level tells a different story. In 3 races at Class 1 — the elite tier of the sport — he has yet to win, going 0 from 3. That is not a failure exactly; it simply tells you where his ceiling is. Cromwell has his eye on good two-mile races rather than chasing the very biggest prizes, which feels like an honest and sensible read of what the horse is.

His recent form over the last 6 races — which includes a pulled-up run, a fourth, a ninth, a fifth, another pulled-up, and a fifth — shows a horse that has not found the winner's enclosure for 15 months. But he raced just yesterday, which means the team still believe there is another win in him. Jockey Conor Stone-Walsh has partnered him 5 times for 1 win together, winning roughly 1 in every 5 rides, which mirrors the horse's overall record almost perfectly. Cromwell bought him cheaply as a young store horse, watched him keep improving, and once floated the idea of a Cheltenham run. For now, though, the goal is simpler: find a wet day at the right track, and let him do what he does best.