Westmorian

The last win came at Lingfield Park on Good Friday in April 2025, part of a winning run on that course when the ground finally suited him. Trainer Grant Tuer, based at Birkby in North Yorkshire, has been patient, describing Westmorian as a horse he has always thought plenty of — one that finally "got it right" when the conditions aligned. That rating of 90 puts him at the upper end of mid-tier racing, respectable but not flashy. What matters now is that soft or heavy ground returns. The trainer is targeting the Ayr Silver Cup, one of the season's feature races, if the weather cooperates. It's a big race, and it hints that Tuer still sees something in this horse worth chasing.

The trouble is recent form. Westmorian hasn't won in six races, and the most recent three have all been well down the field — a seventh place, an eighth, and a fourth. These are the results of a horse racing on ground that doesn't suit him, or simply out of form. At seven years old, there is still time, but the gap since that last win is telling. Sam James has been his most frequent jockey, riding him in 16 races but winning only twice together — a 12% return that suggests the partnership, while familiar, hasn't quite clicked. Southwell remains his happy hunting ground with three wins from eight races there, though that track's all-weather surface rarely comes into play in the spring and summer. If soft ground comes and Westmorian runs in a suitable race, this horse could remind people why his trainer still believes. For now, he is waiting.