Laughing John

The five-year-old is trained by Nicky Henderson at Upper Lambourn, one of the most successful yards in the country — 85 winners sent out this season alone. Laughing John has had a modest start to his career, winning 1 race from 7, which works out at roughly 1 in every 7. His early runs included a second and a third before an unscheduled exit at Chepstow — parting ways with jockey Freddie Gordon mid-race, which is a polite way of saying the horse sent his rider one way and carried on the other. It happens, but it is rarely a confidence-builder.

What did come as a confidence-builder was Doncaster, in December 2025. That was where Laughing John got his first win, and Henderson has spoken warmly about him — describing him as a horse he likes, which from a trainer of his standing is not nothing. At the level he typically competes at, he has won 1 from 5 races, a 20% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 5, which is perfectly respectable. He raced just yesterday, so he is right in the middle of his season.

The question for Laughing John is whether he can build on that Doncaster win and find some consistency. He has shown enough to suggest there is a decent horse in there — placed in three of his seven races, and a winner when conditions came together. For a homebred carrying a name with such a specific and joyful piece of football history attached to it, every run comes with a ready-made story.