Sans Bruit

Aintree is where Sans Bruit comes alive. He has won 2 of his 3 races there, a record that would be impressive for any horse at any level, let alone at one of the most famous tracks in the world. In April 2024, he won the Red Rum Chase. Twelve months later, he came back and won it again — something no horse had managed in 40 years. Paul Nicholls, who trains the yard's 92 winners this season from his base at Ditcheat in Somerset, described him simply as "a tough, genuine little horse." That is trainer-speak for a horse that keeps trying when others might not.

What makes the 2025 win even more remarkable is the context. Sans Bruit had lost his form badly in the early part of last season, slipping down the weights as a result. By the time he returned to Aintree, he was racing off the same mark as when he had won there the year before — a quirk of the system that gave him his opening, and he took it. Then, just a fortnight later, carrying 9lb more in the weights following a penalty for that win, he went to Plumpton and won a Class 2 race. His trainer admitted it felt like a gamble, and the horse's owner Andy Peake was the driving force behind running so soon, but it came off.

Since then, Sans Bruit's last six finishes read 5-3-4-4-5-6 — consistently placed but not winning. He races most often at Class 2 level, winning just 1 from 10 there, which tells you the margins are fine and the competition stiff. He raced as recently as yesterday, so there is clearly still plenty of fire in him. Nicholls has already spoken of a trip to Ayr for a valuable two-mile race. For a horse who only truly clicks into gear when spring arrives and the big days come around, that plan makes every kind of sense.