Pisanello

Pisanello is trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in North Yorkshire, and he is in good company. O'Meara's yard has sent out 100 winners already this season, which gives a sense of the operation behind him — professional, well-resourced, and clearly in form. Daniel Tudhope rides him most often, though their partnership has produced just 1 win from 17 races together, which is a win rate of around 6%. That is not a combination setting the world alight, but Tudhope knows this horse well by now.

What makes Pisanello genuinely interesting is what happens when the conditions suit him. On slightly soft, wet ground, he has won 2 of his 8 races — a win rate of 25%, which is three times better than his overall figure. That is not a coincidence; that is a horse with a real preference. Pair that with his preferred trip of a mile to a mile and a quarter, where he has recorded all four of his wins from 31 races at that distance, and you have a pretty clear picture of when this horse is most dangerous.

His last win came at York in June 2024, nearly 22 months ago now, and his last six races have brought a string of third, third, fifth, eighth, fourth, and fifth place finishes — consistent enough to show he belongs, but frustrating if you have been waiting for him to find the front. He operates mainly at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the British racing pyramid — not the big occasion stuff, but genuinely competitive. He has won 3 of his 19 races at that level, a rate of 16%, or roughly 1 in 6, which is actually a respectable return. Pisanello may not be a headline act, but when the ground comes up soft and the trip is right, he is very much worth watching.