Trilby

The numbers tell a story worth understanding. Across 43 races, Trilby has won 5 times and finished in the places on 16 more occasions — a win rate of around 1 in every 8 or 9 races, which sounds modest until you look at what happens when the rain arrives. On wet, muddy ground, he has won 2 of his 3 races. That is two-thirds of his chances converted, which is an extraordinary figure and suggests the conditions most horses find miserable are the ones where Trilby quietly comes alive. England confirmed this himself, noting that Trilby's fine recent run at Doncaster — one of his better efforts in months — came on one of the rare occasions this season the ground suited him.

His attachment to Haydock Park is equally striking. Three wins from 8 races there makes it his favourite venue by some distance, and when you factor in his love of soft ground, a wet day at Haydock must feel like a genuine occasion for the yard. Joe Fanning, his most regular partner, has won 3 of their 14 races together — roughly 1 in every 5 — a partnership that clearly works.

Trilby's last win came at Beverley in April 2025, and his six most recent races have not produced a victory, with finishes of sixth, second, fifth, eighth, fourth, and second. England is candid about why: the horse has climbed the ratings to a point where winning has become genuinely hard. A progressive younger rival beat him at Haydock recently, and fast or dry ground this season has denied him the conditions he craves. None of that sounds like a horse in decline so much as one waiting for the right afternoon. Sam England's yard has sent out 49 winners this season alone, so Trilby is operating in busy, ambitious company. The trainer's view — that anything Trilby achieves now is a bonus — feels like the most honest assessment you could give of a horse who has already given plenty and clearly still has days left in him.