Will The Wise

The headline number, though, is what happens when the ground gets wet. On soft or muddy ground, Will The Wise has won 2 of 3 races — a 67% win rate that is frankly extraordinary. Most horses cope with conditions; this one thrives in them. When the rain comes down and rivals are struggling for footing, Will The Wise seems to find another gear entirely. That's genuinely useful information if you're watching the weather forecast in the days before a race.

There's also a course to watch. At Punchestown — one of Ireland's great jumping venues — Will The Wise has won 2 of 3 races, having opened its account there back in May 2024. Two wins from three at the same track isn't a coincidence; it's a pattern. Something about the place suits this horse, whether that's the layout, the ground it tends to cut up, or simply familiarity. The most recent win, however, came at Galway in October 2025, which suggests the ability travels.

The partnership with jockey Keith Donoghue is worth noting too. Together they've won 2 of 9 races — roughly 1 in every 4 — which mirrors the horse's overall record and suggests they know each other well by now. Behind them both is trainer Gavin Cromwell, whose yard in Navan, Co. Meath, has sent out 94 winners this season alone. That is a yard operating at serious volume and in fine form, which means Will The Wise is being trained by someone with plenty of strings to their bow and, clearly, a good eye for placing a horse where it can win.

Recent form reads 2-2-10-4-1-2, which tells a straightforward story: one blip in the middle, but otherwise a horse finishing first or second in five of its last six races. That run of form, combined with a last race just 19 days ago, means Will The Wise arrives at its next race fit, seasoned, and in the kind of form that makes it genuinely difficult to leave off a shortlist.