Ian Williams

The headline moments came early and arrived in a rush. In the space of five days in April 2022, Williams landed two of the biggest prizes in British racing — a top-level race at Aintree, then another at Cheltenham. To win at either venue is the ambition of most trainers; to win at both in the same week, in only his second year with a licence, was a statement that demanded attention. Those two results remain the peak of his CV, but they are the kind of peaks that define careers.

On a more day-to-day level, Williams has shown a particular knack for the Welsh track at Ffos Las, where his runners have won 4 times from just 6 attempts. Winning two-thirds of your races at any track is extraordinary — it suggests either a shrewd reading of where to place his horses or simply that his yard travels well to the coast. Probably both.

His most reliable ally in the saddle has been Ryan Kavanagh, whose 134 rides for the yard have produced 19 winners — that's 14%, or roughly 1 in every 7, which edges above Williams's overall average and hints at a genuine understanding between the two. Meanwhile, the horse Moyowasi has been the standout individual partnership, winning 3 of their 6 races together — a phenomenal hit rate that suggests Williams has found exactly the right opportunities for that particular horse.

Still only four years in, Williams is producing numbers — and occasions — that mark him out as one of the more interesting yards to follow. The Aintree and Cheltenham wins are the proof that he can operate at the very top when it matters.