That one win came at Southwell in December 2024, and by all accounts it was worth waiting for. Emma Lavelle, who trains him out of her yard in Ogbourne Maizey in Wiltshire, has spoken about how he was slow to show his best at home before something clicked — and when it did, he won in a good time, with the horse that finished second going on to win again afterwards. That kind of form is a genuine marker of quality. It means One Knight wasn't just beating no-hopers; he beat a horse that proved it could win. Lavelle's yard has sent out 47 winners this season, so this is a team that knows how to place a horse right.
Since that Southwell win, things have been quieter. A dirty scope — a respiratory issue that shows up in routine checks — ruled him out of a planned run at Windsor, which Lavelle wasn't too concerned about given that Windsor would likely have meant softer, wetter ground, and One Knight is thought to prefer faster conditions underfoot. His two most recent runs have been unplaced, and he hasn't won for 18 months, but the plan looks deliberate rather than desperate. Lavelle has signalled that he'll have one more run in his current sphere before being switched to jumping hurdles next season — a significant step up in ambition that suggests she sees real potential here.
He is a horse to keep an eye on when that switch happens. The win form is limited but the quality of it is encouraging, and a trainer with a clear plan and a productive season behind her tends to know what she has on her hands.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 3 Dec | 100% |
| Ffos Las Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 20 May | 0% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 25 Apr | 0% |
| Aintree Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 Apr | 0% |