Wa Wa

Trained by Olly Murphy at his yard in Wilmcote, Warwickshire, Wa Wa sits in capable hands. Murphy's operation has sent out 146 winners this season alone, which gives you a sense of the scale and quality of what he runs. When a yard is firing at that rate, the horses in it tend to be well-placed and well-managed, and Wa Wa's longevity at 11 suggests exactly that kind of careful handling.

The partnership with jockey B J Cooper is worth noting. In 9 races together, Cooper has steered Wa Wa to 4 wins — that is winning 4 in every 9 rides, or a win rate just under 44%. For context, most jockey-horse combinations never click like that. It suggests the two have developed a real understanding, and it is no coincidence that Cooper has been in the saddle for the majority of Wa Wa's career highlights.

The most recent win came at Perth on 25 April 2025, and the six races since have brought a third, a third, a fourth, a seventh, a second, and a fifth — no win, but no disasters either. That kind of consistent placing without converting tells the story of a horse that is still very much competitive, still finding the frame, but perhaps finding it harder to get its head in front. When Wa Wa has been pitched into Class 2 company — some of the better races in Britain — it has come up short every time, going 0 from 4. That is not a failure so much as a fair reflection of where the ceiling might be.

What keeps this interesting is that Wa Wa raced just one day ago and is still actively competing at 11. That is genuinely unusual. Most horses at this age have long since retired, and the fact that Wa Wa is still placing regularly suggests there is still plenty of reason to keep going.