Bill Baxter

The highlight of his career came at Aintree on 14 April 2023, where he won a Class 1 race — one of the very top races in the sport. His jockey James Bowen, who rides him every single morning at Warren Greatrex's yard in Upper Lambourn, rang the owner the night before to warn him they might not run. It had to rain, and it did. Bowen described it as the race that would "put their name on the map," and Bill Baxter delivered. That kind of performance, at that level, on the biggest stage, is what separates a decent horse from a memorable one.

What makes him particularly intriguing is his course record at Kelso, where he has won 2 of just 3 races — a remarkable ratio that suggests something about that track genuinely suits him. Trainer Warren Greatrex has spoken warmly about how well he travels and jumps, and after a fall at Hereford that wasn't the horse's fault, Bill Baxter came straight back to win in style. Greatrex noted at the time that he thought he deserved a crack at a big prize, and Aintree duly followed. More recently, a win at Punchestown in May 2025, putting it up to a rival called Haiti Couleurs, showed he retains his best form at ten. Greatrex has openly stated the Becher Chase is the next target — and that if Bill Baxter wins that, the Grand National is the dream destination.

He has not won in his last 6 races, and his recent form reads as patchy, but context matters here. Competing predominantly at the very top level — Class 1 — he has won 1 from 7 attempts in those races, or 14%. That is tough company, every single time. Greatrex's yard has sent out 50 winners this season alone, so the team around him is in excellent shape. With the Becher in his sights and Greatrex describing him as "full of confidence," Bill Baxter looks like a horse with at least one more big day left in him.