Highlands Legacy

His recent form makes particularly good reading. In his last six races he has won twice and finished second three times — the only blip a fourth-place finish sandwiched in between. Horses that string together sequences like 2-1-2-2-1 are doing something right, and the trainer's yard has been in fine health this season, sending out 51 winners — so the stable behind him is clearly in good nick.

The big moment came on 18 January 2026 at Windsor, where Highlands Legacy won a Class 2 race — one of the better races you can win in Britain outside the very top tier. That is a step up from his usual level. He has spent most of his career in Class 4 races, winning 2 of 9 at that level, but Windsor showed he can handle a stronger test when the conditions are right. Jonjo O'Neill Jr has ridden him in 12 of those races and won 3 — a win rate of 25%, or roughly 1 in every 4 — and that partnership clearly works.

The trainer has been candid about how the horse got here. He was frustrating when racing over hurdles, but the switch to fences unlocked something in him. He won at Worcester, followed that with a close second to a better rival when stepped up in grade at Aintree, and now a Class 2 victory at Windsor has confirmed the improvement is real. The trainer is clear on what suits him best: a genuinely fast-paced race over two miles on wet, soft ground. When those conditions align, this is a horse who arrives at his races in serious form.

Raced just yesterday and still active, Highlands Legacy looks like a horse who has found his groove in his seventh year. The early career frustrations are behind him, the partnership with his regular jockey is settled, and he is now winning at a level that suggests there may be more to come if the right race falls his way.