Much has been made of the similarities between Paddington and Giant’s Causeway, Aidan O’Brien’s “Iron Horse” at the turn of the century, before Paddington’s attempt to record a fifth consecutive Group One win in the International Stakes at York on Wednesday. Rather less attention has been paid to parallels with the Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy in his team’s title-winning 2015-16 campaign.
As Vardy racked up goals in 11 successive matches in the early weeks of the season, no match report was complete without a reference to his humble origins in non-league football. The fact that Paddington started his three‑year‑old season in a handicap similarly gets a mention after each fresh Group One success and as yet, like the Premier League’s best defenders eight years ago, his rivals have not found a way to stop him.
