Washington Heights

The numbers tell a story of a horse that is genuinely unlucky more often than outright beaten. Washington Heights has finished in the frame — winning money but not the race — on 11 occasions, meaning he gets into the money roughly 3 times out of every 4 runs. His trainer Kevin Ryan, who runs the powerful Hambleton yard in North Yorkshire, has spoken about a horse that "tries very, very hard" and has "just been a bit unlucky here and there." That unluckiness is real: Washington Heights dominated the top-level races he contested, winning at a 20% rate (2 from 10) when facing the best opposition. On fast, dry ground — his preferred surface — he has won nearly 1 in every 4 races (3 from 12), suggesting that track conditions matter far more to him than the level of opposition.

The horse has had real moments of glory. He won abroad in Sweden last year in impressive fashion, and his Newmarket victory in April 2024 came after jockey Tom Eaves produced a commanding front-running ride. Most recently, Washington Heights returned to the winner's enclosure at Carlisle three months ago, proving he still has plenty to offer despite inconsistent recent form — his last six runs have yielded just one victory and two placed efforts. At six years old and still active, with a regular partnership with Eaves that has produced 2 wins from 12 rides together, Washington Heights remains a horse capable of surprising on any dry-ground day at a top track.