L'Homme Presse

What makes those numbers genuinely impressive is the level he has been competing at. Fourteen of his 18 races have been in the top tier of British racing, and he has won 5 of those — that's 1 in every 3 runs against the very best. Most horses in that company are happy to occasionally trouble the placings. L'Homme Presse has been winning them. He took a top-level race at Sandown in February 2022, followed it up with another at Cheltenham just six weeks later, then added a third at Newcastle that November. Three Class 1 wins in less than a year is the kind of record that gets people paying attention.

Cheltenham in particular seems to bring out the best in him. He has run there 7 times and won 3 of them — that's almost 1 win for every 2 visits to a course that regularly humbles horses far younger and better-fancied than him. His most recent win came there on 25 January 2025, which means an 11-year-old horse was still winning the biggest races in Britain just a few months ago. That is remarkable, full stop.

Throughout his career he has been partnered almost exclusively by jockey Charlie Deutsch, who has been in the saddle for all 8 of those wins from their 18 races together. That consistency matters — some horses and jockeys simply click, and this partnership clearly has. Behind them both is trainer Venetia Williams, whose yard in Herefordshire has sent out 16 winners already this season, a sign of a stable in excellent health.

His recent form — finishing fifth, then second twice, then first — suggests a horse who had a brief dip before finding his way back to winning. He raced just 16 days ago and remains active. Whatever comes next, very little about L'Homme Presse's career suggests he is done surprising people.