Hilitany

Both wins came at Windsor, the first in July 2025 and the second in September. At that level — Class 5, the lower end of the sport — he has been dominant, winning 2 of his 3 races there, which is a 67% win rate. But what caught the eye was the manner of those wins, particularly jockey Billy Loughnane's assessment after Windsor: "He did everything right. From the half-furlong pole to the line, I got that same feel for a couple more furlongs today — it was a taking performance." That phrase, "a couple more furlongs," is a hint that there is more to come if Hilitany is stepped up in distance.

The pair have built a solid working relationship. Loughnane has ridden him in 6 of his 10 races and accounts for both victories — a 33% win rate together, winning 2 of every 6 races they have run as a partnership. That kind of consistency with the same rider usually means the horse is understood, and with an animal that Loughnane describes as getting "a little stressed before the race", that understanding matters.

The team took Hilitany to Dubai over the winter — an ambitious move for a horse of his level — and while a race at seven furlongs never materialised, he returned in impressive form. Boughey felt he was too well in himself to simply put away for a break, so they ran him at Lingfield, where he won the Spring Cup. The trainer has since spoken about the need to step up in grade and possibly venture into Europe, which signals real ambition. The racing manager described it straightforwardly: "Hopefully this sets him up for a productive summer."

He raced just one day ago and remains in active training. His last six results — a fourth place, two runs abroad, a ninth, and a pair of double-digit finishes — tell the story of a horse being tested at higher levels. But with Boughey's yard sending out 99 winners this season and a jockey who clearly believes in him, the summer ahead looks like the moment Hilitany finds out just how good he can be.