Deep Cave

The trainer Christian Williams, based at his yard on the Welsh coast at Ogmore-by-Sea, has been open about the fact that it took time to fully understand this horse. After the Aintree win, he admitted the team had spent a long time working out what brought the best out of Deep Cave — and that patience has clearly paid off. Williams has had a productive season, sending out 25 winners from his yard, and Deep Cave represents his most prestigious results. The horse was originally sourced on a recommendation from trainer Henry de Bromhead's operation after winning a point-to-point, and his very first career win came at Leopardstown in Ireland back in December 2022 — a sign that his talent was spotted early, even if it took time to bloom at the top level.

On the saddle, Jack Tudor has become the jockey most associated with Deep Cave, and the numbers back the partnership up emphatically. In 8 races together, Tudor has ridden him to 3 wins — a win rate of 38%, or just under 2 in every 5 rides. That kind of ratio with a specific jockey usually tells you the horse is comfortable and running freely in that partnership. Deep Cave also has a particular affinity for wet, muddy ground — 2 wins from 5 races in those conditions (40%), which is well above his overall average. His most recent run came just yesterday, keeping him at the front of the mind as an active, competitive force. With a Class 1 win at Ascot as recently as last December, and a horse who has proven he can beat the best, it would be unwise to count him out.