Winemaker

Trained by Richard Hughes at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, Winemaker sits in a yard that clearly knows what it is doing — 60 winners already this season is a serious tally, the sign of an operation firing on all cylinders. Hughes has found a useful partnership for this horse in jockey Gavin Ryan, who has ridden Winemaker 12 times and won on 3 of those occasions. That is a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4 rides together — noticeably better than Winemaker's overall career average, which suggests Ryan understands how to get the best out of this horse.

Winemaker particularly likes normal ground conditions, winning 2 of 7 races on a standard surface — just under 1 in 3, which is a significantly better return than the career average and worth keeping in mind when conditions are right. The first career win came at Naas back in August 2022, and the most recent was at Dundalk in January 2026, six months ago — a gap worth noting, though recent form suggests the horse is far from finished.

That recent form reads 7-3-8-4-1-5 from the last six races, working backwards from the most recent. A third place and a fourth in the middle of that sequence show a horse still running competitively, and the win at Dundalk in January is the clear highlight. The latest run, just yesterday, ended in seventh — not the result anyone was hoping for, but Winemaker raced only 24 hours ago, which tells you the team clearly has plans for this horse and is keeping it busy. With the right ground and Gavin Ryan in the saddle, another win is well within reach.