William Cody

The nine-year-old first announced himself at Huntingdon back in November 2022, and his most recent win came there too, in November 2024. So he has been waiting 18 months to add to his tally, and his last six races have all come without a win. That said, his recent form tells a more nuanced story: in those six runs the placings read 3-2-2-3-2-4 going backwards, which means he has been finishing in the top three consistently. He is not fading or struggling — he is running into horses who are just beating him on the day. That can be frustrating, but it also suggests there is another win lurking somewhere, particularly if Huntingdon comes around again.

The man most likely to be aboard when it arrives is Paul O'Brien, who has partnered William Cody 25 times across their careers together. Three of those rides have ended in the winner's enclosure, a win rate of 12% — exactly matching the horse's overall career average, which suggests they simply know each other well by now. Trainer Pam Sly has had 7 winners out of her yard this season alone, so the operation is in form, and William Cody tends to do his best work at Class 4 level, one step below the top tier — winning 3 of his 16 races there, or roughly 1 in every 5, which is where he clearly belongs. He raced just yesterday, meaning the yard are keeping him busy. At nine years old, with his favourite track still on the calendar, there may well be one more moment in the sun.