The Lion In Winter

The horse announced itself with a first career win at The Curragh in July 2024, then followed up with a Class 1 victory at York the following month. That York win, on one of Britain's most prestigious tracks in August, confirmed this was a horse operating at the sharp end. After that, the season got tougher — trainer Aidan O'Brien has noted that the horse didn't win at all last season, but was placed in four Group 1 races, with the final three all run over a mile. Being second or third repeatedly at the highest level without winning is frustrating, but it also tells you the horse is doing nothing wrong — it is simply mixing it with the very best.

O'Brien spent the winter pointing The Lion In Winter at the Lockinge, one of Britain's most prestigious mile races, and that prep work appears to be paying off. The horse returned just this week with a win at Leopardstown — its first victory in over a year and a half. The jockeys who have ridden it offer a consistent picture: Christophe Soumillon noted how quickly it travels through a race and how well it quickens when asked; Wayne Lordan highlighted that it enjoys racing with a lead and thrives around a turning track.

That adds up to a pretty clear profile — a horse that likes to bowl along in a good rhythm, save something for late, and pounce. Whether it can do that against the top milers at the Lockinge is the next question. But with 144 winners already sent out by the O'Brien yard this season alone, and a horse that has just rediscovered winning form after a winter of patient preparation, the confidence around it feels well earned.