Whiskey Pete

On 14 October 2023, this five-year-old travelled to York and landed one of the top races in Britain, a Class 2 contest. His jockey that day, Hector Crouch, admitted afterwards that he thought it was going to be comfortable two furlongs out — then Whiskey Pete started dawdling, waiting for company, and only found top gear when a rival came to him late. It was the kind of win that makes you laugh and shake your head at the same time. He got the job done, but very much on his own terms.

Since that afternoon, he has raced 23 more times without adding another win. His overall record reads 1 win and 8 places from 24 races — that's a win rate of just 4%, or roughly 1 in every 24 attempts. At the Class 4 level where he most often runs, he has gone 0 from 8. His regular jockey Alex Jary has ridden him seven times without success. His recent form — finishing 5th, 6th, 13th, 11th, 15th and 9th in his last six — does not paint a flattering picture.

Yet trainer Nigel Tinkler, who runs a busy and productive yard in North Yorkshire and has sent out 37 winners this season, still sounds like a man who believes in the horse. Tinkler has pointed out that a mile is the right trip — anything longer stretches him — and that he needs decent ground rather than heavy or muddy conditions. Whiskey Pete even made a trip to Bahrain earlier this year, which tells you the team still see ambition in him. Tinkler's view is straightforward: he'll win races.

Whether that proves right or not, Whiskey Pete is a horse with one genuinely big day on his record and a trainer patient enough to keep looking for the right moment. He raced just yesterday, so whatever the next chapter looks like, it's already being written.