Existent

What makes Existent more than just a journeyman, though, is the level at which it has competed. A Class 2 victory at Wolverhampton in February 2022 is a genuinely significant result — these are among the better races in Britain — and the fact that it typically runs at that level (22 of its races have been at Class 2) tells you this is not a horse being thrown into easy company. Winning 1 from 22 at that grade is modest, but simply competing there consistently is a statement in itself.

The numbers light up when ground conditions are right. On normal ground Existent has won 3 from 14 races — that is 21%, or roughly 1 in every 5. That is a completely different animal to the one that has laboured on other surfaces, and it is the single most useful piece of information anyone watching the horse needs to know. Sprint distances also seem to suit, with 1 win from just 6 races over the shortest trips, suggesting there may be more to find if the yard continue to target those races.

Stuart Williams, based at Newmarket, is a trainer in strong form this season with 67 winners sent out from the yard. Marco Ghiani has been the regular partner, riding Existent in 17 races together for 1 win — a modest return, but the pair have clearly built a long-running association. Most importantly, Existent is still active. It raced just one day ago, and its most recent win came at Southwell in January 2026, only five months back. After 58 races and four years of consistent competition, it is still finding ways to hit the front — and for a horse at this stage of its career, that alone is worth something.