Theonlywayiswessex

The partnership with jockey Tom Cannon is the most interesting thread to pull on here. Across 13 races together, Cannon has ridden this horse to 2 wins — winning roughly 1 in every 6-and-a-half rides, or about 15% of the time. That's actually a touch better than the horse's overall career average, suggesting the two have developed something of an understanding. Trainer Alan King, based at Wroughton in Wiltshire, has had a productive season with 57 winners sent out from the yard — a genuinely busy operation — so this horse is in capable hands heading into whatever comes next.

Ground conditions are worth noting. On normal ground, Theonlywayiswessex has won 2 of 9 races — roughly 1 in every 4-and-a-half outings, which is comfortably its best surface. That 22% win rate on a standard surface compared to its overall 14% is a meaningful difference, and it's the kind of detail that separates a punter from a casual observer.

The big question mark is the absence. Last seen racing at Plumpton in December 2024, the horse has been off the track for around seven months now. That's a long break by any measure, and how it returns from that layoff will tell us a lot. The recent form before the break — placing or winning in five of its last six races, including that December win — was as good as this horse has looked. Whether it picks up where it left off, or needs a race or two to find its rhythm again, is the thing worth watching.