No But I Will

What trainer Julian Smith said back in November 2023 helps make sense of the journey. At that point, he described the horse as a big baby who had simply struggled physically in its early career — not lack of talent, just a body that needed time to catch up with itself. Smith flagged it as a three-mile-plus chaser, the kind of horse built for stamina rather than speed, and that patient reading of the horse appears to have paid off. The first career win came at Bangor-on-Dee in April 2023, and the horse has continued to find its feet since.

Ground conditions are worth noting. No But I Will has won on both normal and wet ground — 2 wins from 8 races on normal ground (25%), and 2 wins from 6 races in wet or muddy conditions (33%). That adaptability is a genuine asset, meaning the team are not constantly waiting for specific weather to roll in before they can plan a run. At Class 4 level — a solid mid-tier of racing — the horse has won 3 of its 15 races there (20%), which is a perfectly respectable record at that grade.

The one slight puzzle is the partnership with regular jockey Liam Harrison. In seven races together they have not yet found the winner's enclosure, which stands out given that the horse has four career wins across 24 outings overall. That is not necessarily a red flag — combinations sometimes just need time to click — but it is the kind of detail a keen observer would keep an eye on. Based at Tirley in Gloucestershire, the yard has had one winner this season. No But I Will, having raced just yesterday, is clearly at the heart of whatever plans Julian Smith is building for the months ahead.