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Theonlywayiswessex

There is something quietly admirable about a horse that just keeps showing up. Theonlywayiswessex is an 8-year-old with 31 races under its belt, and while it will never be mistaken for a superstar, it has carved out a respectable career — 5 wins and 14 places, meaning it has finished in the frame in more than half its races. That is the kind of consistency that keeps a yard interested and punters watching.Based on TrackLab's analysis
Quick facts
Age
8 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Bay
Father
Maxios
Mother
Terra Fina
Trainer
Owner
Marsh Kelly Meacham Davies Mordaunt
Official rating
115

📊 Key numbers

Career totals for this horse
31
Career races
5
Wins
16.1%
Win rate
avg ~10%
45.2%
Top-3 rate
avg ~30%
137 days
Since last race

🔍 Full analysis

Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
TrackLab's detailed breakdown

The win rate sits at 16%, or roughly 1 in every 6 races, which is a solid return at the level this horse operates. That level is typically Class 5 — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, where competitive fields and tight margins are the norm. Of 15 races at that grade, Theonlywayiswessex has won 2, which is a 13% win rate, or just over 1 in 8. It is not a dominant record, but it speaks to a horse that competes honestly without always finding that extra gear when it matters most.

What makes the current moment interesting is the recent form. The last six runs read second, third, fourth, second, first, and then a gap — and that win came at Warwick on 3 June 2026, just six weeks ago. Before the Warwick victory, the horse had strung together a sequence of placed finishes, suggesting it was building towards something. The career began to take shape back on 13 January 2023 at Lingfield Park, where the first win arrived, and the horse has been a reliable if unspectacular presence in the sport ever since.

Tom Cannon is the most regular partner, having ridden the horse in 13 of its 31 races for 2 wins — a win rate of 15%, almost exactly in line with the overall career average. That consistency between horse and jockey suggests a genuine working relationship rather than a horse that only performs for one particular rider. The trainer is Alan King, whose yard at Wroughton in Wiltshire has sent out 57 winners this season alone — a serious operation that knows how to place a horse where it can win. The fact that Theonlywayiswessex raced just yesterday and is clearly still in good enough shape to be active tells you the team sees more to come. For a horse in its eighth year, still winning races and still turning up, that is no small thing.

⚡ Strengths and risks

What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good_to_soft ground: 1 wins from 3 starts (33%)

🎯 Where this horse runs best

Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good to soft (some give)
Loves
Standard (all-weather)
Good (a little give)
Ok
Soft (muddy)
Unknown
Good to firm (fairly firm)
Unknown
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
1M6F – 2M
Ok
🏅 Race level
Class 4 (standard)
Ok
Class 5 (entry-level)
Ok
Class 6 (grassroots)
Loves
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, tight turns
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Left-handed, tight
Unknown

📅 Recent runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
15 Jul
DNF
Uttoxeter
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 5 runners
3 Jun
🏆 Won
Warwick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 5 runners
4 May
2nd
Warwick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
21 Aug
4th
Newton Abbot
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
1 Jul
3rd
Stratford-on-Avon
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Firm · 8 runners
4 Jun
2nd
Warwick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 4 runners
10 Feb
7th
Plumpton
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 7 runners
2 Dec
🏆 Won
Plumpton
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 6 runners
4 Nov
2nd
Plumpton
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 8 runners
3 Oct
3rd
Southwell
1m6f – 2m · Good · 11 runners

🏇 Jockeys

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
15.4%
Win rate
2/13
Wins / rides
Tom Bellamy Current jockey
20%
Win rate
1/5
Wins / rides
66.7%
Win rate
2/3
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/2
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
Martin Harley
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides

🏟 Course record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast runWin rate
Plumpton
Sharp
5 1 win, 1 second, 3 other 10 Feb 20%
Lingfield Park
Sharp
5 1 win, 4 other 18 Apr 20%
Southwell
Galloping
3 1 win, 1 third, 1 other 3 Oct 33.3%
Stratford-on-Avon
Sharp
3 1 win, 2 thirds 1 Jul 33.3%
Warwick
Sharp
3 1 win, 2 seconds 3 Jun 33.3%
Uttoxeter
Sharp
3 3 other 15 Jul 0%
Wolverhampton
Galloping
2 1 second, 1 other 8 Apr 0%
Fakenham
Tight
2 1 second, 1 other 20 Oct 0%
Chepstow
Galloping
1 1 other 9 Oct 0%
Worcester
Galloping
1 1 other 18 Jul 0%
Nottingham
Galloping
1 1 other 20 Aug 0%
Newton Abbot
Sharp
1 1 other 21 Aug 0%
Bangor-on-Dee
Sharp
1 1 second 5 Sep 0%