This certainly seems to be the case with Carlingford Lough (39), who is best fresh according to trainer John Kiely.

Last season Carlingford Lough had seven runs before the spring festivals and ended up being pulled up at the two he contested. This season he has had just four starts and has had a break longer than 10 weeks before two of them. The result has been a win in the Galway Plate, a second in a Grade 1 and the Kerry National and now a Grade 1 win in the Topaz Novices' Chase at Leopardstown.