Pic d'Orhy

The most remarkable thread running through his career is Ascot. He has won four of the top races there, in November 2023, February 2024, November 2024, and February 2025, turning the Berkshire track into something close to a personal fiefdom. When Paul Nicholls, his trainer at the famous Ditcheat yard in Somerset, says "he likes it there," he is understating it considerably. Horses do not win four top-level races at the same track by coincidence — there is something about Ascot that brings the very best out of him. Add a Class 1 victory at Aintree in April 2023 and you have a horse who has made a habit of performing on the biggest stages.

His partnership with jockey Harry Cobden tells its own story. The two have raced together 21 times and won 11 of them — that is a win rate of 52%, better than a coin flip. In a sport where horse-and-rider chemistry matters enormously, those numbers suggest something close to a perfect match.

Nicholls has been open about his ambitions for the horse, including a desire to step him up to three miles, which he finally got to try at Wetherby — and Pic d'Orhy travelled well the whole way. After finishing second at Ascot most recently, his trainer made clear there would be no Cheltenham, with Aintree the next target and a possible step up to three miles on the table. At 11, most horses are being eased into retirement. This one is being aimed at new distances and new challenges, with a trainer who says he "wouldn't be scared" of going further. That confidence, from one of British racing's most successful yards — 92 winners this season alone — tells you everything about where Pic d'Orhy still stands.