Ethical Diamond is no longer a surprise package and enters the March 28 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) as a horse who from now on must be considered a bona fide contender for any major middle-distance prize.
The 6-year-old's performance in flying wide and late around the field and leading home a world-class field in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) was one that will live long in the memory, exposing both trainer Willie Mullins and rising star jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle to a whole new audience.
It represented the top of an extraordinary upward curve, too. This time last year, Ethical Diamond had just finished fourth in a handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, the biggest meeting in the sport of jump racing, before being switched back to the flat.
The son of Awtaad won both the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, a 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) handicap at Royal Ascot, and the Ebor Handicap over 2,800 meters (about 1 3/4 miles) at York Racecourse last August, but coming up against group 1 regulars such as Rebel's Romance in the end-of-year championship at Del Mar was another level entirely.
On his first visit to Dubai, it's so far, so good.
"He's traveled over very well," Mullins said. "It's still a busy time over here and I've kept the same team that traveled with him last time, so Sean Cleary-Farrell has gone over, and everyone seems very happy with how he's settled in.
"I don't think he'll do a lot this week. We've hopefully sent him over there as fit as a flea."
Mullins, who is currently preparing his large string of jumps horses for big targets in the European spring at home, has had the added pressure of getting Ethical Diamond back in shape for his trip to Dubai.
"I see he's had the longest break of any of the horses in the field without a run, but I had always wanted to give him a break after America," he said. "It's the start of a long year for him, but we've tried to get him as fit as we can at home."
Anyone who follows jump racing in its heartlands of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France will have a fair idea of how dominant the 69-year-old Mullins is.
Now 19 times winner of the domestic title, he has even been British champion trainer twice in recent years, won the Grand National and everything of consequence at Cheltenham, rewriting the record books in the process.
Mullins has even landed major jumps prizes in Japan and America, while Australians have become accustomed to some of his hurdlers switching back to chase the Melbourne Cup (G1).
While there have been some important flat triumphs along the way, including the 2016 Irish St. Leger (G1) with Wicklow Brave and big prizes in Australia and Saudi Arabia with his smart stayer True Self, Ethical Diamond has already taken him into different territory and perhaps further again should he manage to upset the reigning Longines World's Best Racehorse Calandagan Saturday.
The regard in which Mullins is held would leave many to believe he would become a leading international figure should he ever decide to have more of a sustained focus on the flat.
Typically enough, he remains calm and unflappable about his latest task.
"It's a tough race," he said. "I've seen he's second favorite (in the international markets) and hopefully he can run well. If he can finish in the first three I think we'll be happy.
"We are always trying to buy dual-purpose horses but I think after last year, he's gone from a dual-purpose horse to just a flat horse.
"I suppose he surprised us all in America and, hopefully, now he'll be able to maintain that, to hold that sort of position."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
