Jipcot

His first win came at Newbury on 28 December 2024, and by all accounts it was the moment the yard saw what he could really do. Trainer AJ O'Neill was quick to credit jockey Kielan Woods for getting Jipcot settled and jumping smoothly — no small feat with a horse his team openly describe as having "plenty of quirks" and "ideas of his own." That self-will has made him an education to train: he runs in a tongue-tie and hood to keep his more headstrong tendencies in check, and the team have learned that a fast-run race tends to bring out the best in him rather than a slowly-run tactical affair. Horses like that can frustrate you for months, then suddenly click and leave you wondering why it took so long.

His most interesting quirk statistically is what happens when the ground rides wet. On soft ground he's won 2 of his 10 races — a 20% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 5. That doubles his overall average and tells you something important: if conditions are right, he becomes a much more dangerous proposition. His most recent win came at Leicester in January 2026, just three months ago, so he's very much a live and active force.

Where Jipcot has yet to deliver is at the top level. In six races at Class 1 — the elite end of the sport — he's yet to get his nose in front. That's not a mark against him so much as a reminder of the company he's been keeping and the gap he still needs to close. His regular partner Kielan Woods has ridden him in 18 of his 20 races and they've won together twice, building up the kind of familiarity that matters with an opinionated horse. The Jonjo and AJ O'Neill yard, based in Cheltenham, has sent out 51 winners this season alone, so Jipcot is in capable hands. His recent form reads 4-13-13-4-1-3, and though the last couple of runs haven't yielded wins, this is a horse who races regularly and rewards patience. Keep him on the right ground and watch him closely.