Gidleigh Park

What makes him particularly interesting is where and when he performs. His two Class 1 wins — the kind of races that sit right at the top of the British racing tree — came at Windsor in January 2025 and Cheltenham in January 2024, two very different tracks but both in the depths of winter. That is no coincidence. Gidleigh Park loves wet, heavy ground, winning three of four races when conditions are muddy and slow. Some horses tolerate soft ground; this one actively thrives on it, and his trainer Harry Fry, based in Dorset, knows exactly when to pull the trigger. His yard has sent out 25 winners already this season, and Gidleigh Park has been one of the reasons why.

The partnership with jockey Jonathan Burke is one of the most productive in his career. Together they have won 4 of their 5 races — that is an extraordinary 80% win rate, the sort of statistic that tells you horse and rider have simply clicked. Burke seems to understand exactly how to manage a horse that can get a little fired up early. After the Windsor win in January 2025, Burke explained that Gidleigh Park travelled powerfully and needed careful handling in the early stages, but once settled he was devastating. The owners called him a Gold Cup horse of the future after a run at Aintree, and that was not the champagne talking — it reflected a horse whose ceiling nobody has yet found.

He has not won since that Windsor success fifteen months ago, and his recent form shows a couple of runner-up finishes sandwiched around a couple of DNFs. But Harry Fry has spoken about patience, about finding the right conditions and the right race, and about a horse who has so much more to give over longer distances. When the ground turns wet again and Burke is in the saddle, Gidleigh Park has a habit of making people pay attention.