William Of York

Across 22 races in total, William Of York has won 5 times and placed a further 8, giving him a win rate of roughly 1 in every 4.5 races — or to put it another way, 23%, which is a decent return for a horse competing at this level. He is trained by Rebecca Menzies at her yard in Morden, Durham, which has sent out 36 winners this season alone, so William Of York is not operating in isolation — he is part of a yard clearly in form. His most regular partner in the saddle is Ross Chapman, who has ridden him to 2 of his 5 wins across 9 outings together.

What makes William Of York genuinely interesting is the gap between his day-to-day performances and what he can produce when everything clicks. Most of his racing has come at Class 4 level, where he has won just 1 from 8 — a modest 12% — yet he has shown he can step up to much better company and deliver. His trainer described him as bold and quick over fences, and crucially, a horse who almost never makes a jumping mistake — which is a rare quality and the sort of thing that catches the eye of people who watch races carefully. The owner's comment after Carlisle — "you haven't seen the best of him yet" — was said in the flush of a big win, but given what followed, it is hard to dismiss entirely.

He has not won in his last 6 races, and his most recent win now sits 25 months in the past. He raced just yesterday, so he is clearly still active and still being aimed at targets. The question with a horse like this is whether that Carlisle performance was a ceiling moment or a signpost — and his trainer, who has spoken about entries at Aintree's Grand Sefton, clearly believes there is still something to find.