Raffles Wonder

The most telling chapter of his story came at Carlisle in March 2025, when he won a Class 2 race — one of the top tier events in Britain. What made it particularly interesting was the reason behind it. Trainer Rebecca Menzies explained afterwards that a wind operation had been the turning point, giving Raffles Wonder both a physical edge and, seemingly, a new sense of confidence. He pulled clear in the closing stages, and Menzies was cautiously optimistic: she noted he handles very wet, muddy conditions well, suggesting there could be more to come on the right day.

His home track is Sedgefield, where he has won 2 of his 5 races. That 40% record at one course is the sort of thing that makes people in the know sit up — most horses win at nothing like that rate anywhere, and finding a horse with a genuine affinity for a particular track is one of the small pleasures of following racing closely. His very first career win came there in January 2023, and clearly the place suits him.

Step him down to Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter races that make up most of the jumps calendar — and the numbers look even better: 3 wins from 8 races, or 38%, winning well over 1 in every 3 starts at that level. That kind of consistency at his preferred grade marks him out as a reliable performer when conditions and class align.

The current form line tells a more complicated story. He hasn't won in his last 6 races, and his most recent placings — a fifth, eighth, and fourth — suggest he's in the mix without quite finding top gear. Jockey Nathan Moscrop, who has ridden him in 11 of his 20 races, has only landed one win together, a relatively modest partnership by the numbers. Sam England's yard at Guiseley has been in strong form this season with 49 winners, and with Raffles Wonder still racing — he ran just yesterday — there's clearly still belief in what the old boy can do.