Empirestateofmind

His finest hour came at York in October 2024, one of the most prestigious flat racing venues in the country, on a day when the rain had arrived and the ground was wet underfoot. That matters enormously with this horse. On wet or muddy ground he has won 4 of his 11 races — that's 36%, an extraordinary conversion rate that transforms him from a solid competitor into a genuine danger. On a soft October afternoon at York, he was exactly where he wanted to be.

Trained by John and Sean Quinn at their yard in Norton, North Yorkshire — a team that has sent out 44 winners already this season — he has been a slightly unlucky horse at times. His trainer has spoken openly about how his consistency actually worked against him: he placed so often without winning that the handicapper kept his rating high, making it harder to compete for a couple of seasons. A hock injury knocked him off course when a big spring race was being targeted. These things happen, and the Quinns have kept patient faith with him.

His regular partner is Jason Hart, who has ridden him to 4 of his 6 career wins across 27 races together — roughly 1 win in every 7 rides. Hart knows the horse well, and the partnership has delivered on the biggest occasions. The owner, Ross Harmon, summed up the feeling around this horse after a win at Thirsk: "he's so consistent." That word keeps coming up, and it's the truest thing you can say about Empirestateofmind. His last win came at Musselburgh in October 2025, and his recent form shows he hasn't recaptured that yet. But he raced just yesterday, the rain is never far away in Britain, and this is a horse who has a habit of reminding everyone what he can do when conditions fall his way.