Herakles Westwood

The headline fact is the Class 2 win at Cheltenham on New Year's Day 2026 — one of the top races in Britain, at one of the most celebrated tracks in the country. It isn't just the level that impresses; it's the venue. Greatrex has been open about it: Herakles Westwood loves Cheltenham. That matters more than it might sound, because the track is famously demanding, with a long uphill finish that finds out horses who aren't genuinely tough. Winning there at the highest level suggests this is a horse still improving at nine, not one winding down.

His day-to-day racing has mostly come in Class 4 company, where he has won just 1 from 9 races — an 11% win rate that might look modest until you consider that his best performances have come when the stakes are raised. That is a genuinely interesting trait: a horse who seems to find something extra for the big occasion.

Jockey James Bowen has been the key partnership here. In 11 races together, they have won 4 times — that's a win rate of 36%, or almost 1 in every 3 rides. For context, that is a remarkable conversion rate and suggests a real understanding between horse and rider.

Greatrex, whose yard at Upper Lambourn has sent out 50 winners already this season, is clearly planning around the big spring festivals. After the Cheltenham win he mentioned both the Ultima Handicap Chase and the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival as possible targets, suggesting a break and a return in March. The form line over the last six runs shows a dip either side of that New Year's Day peak, but with a trainer this confident and a horse this well-suited to the track that matters most, Herakles Westwood heads into spring with genuine expectations attached.