Imperial Bede

The most recent win came at Catterick Bridge on 9 February 2026, just eight weeks ago, which tells you this is a horse still performing at its peak rather than coasting on past glories. That win came at a trip of between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — and that distance range is clearly where Imperial Bede finds its best form, winning 1 from 4 races at those trips, a 25% win rate that means it wins 1 in every 4 times out at that distance. For context, that is meaningfully better than its overall record, suggesting the yard have found the sweet spot.

The partnership with jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr is one of the most consistent threads in this horse's career. He has ridden Imperial Bede in 19 of its 22 races and all 3 wins have come with him in the saddle — a win rate of 16%, or roughly 1 in every 6 rides together. That kind of continuity matters in racing; a jockey who knows a horse's quirks and tendencies is a genuine advantage, and the numbers back it up here. The trainer, Jonjo O'Neill Sr, alongside his son A J O'Neill, runs a thriving yard based in Cheltenham that has sent out 51 winners already this season — a busy, successful operation that clearly knows how to place its horses well.

Recent form makes encouraging reading too. In the last six races, Imperial Bede has a win and two further placed efforts — it raced just yesterday, so this is a horse very much in the thick of things. First winner's enclosure moment came at Huntingdon back in January 2023, but three years on, Imperial Bede is still adding to that tally and showing no signs of slowing down.