2024was William’s best season to date, in terms of number of winners (40 –including FROST AT DAWN’s G3 win in Dubai) and overall % winners to runners(18%). The most pleasing statistic has to be the 56% individual horses to winners. From only 32 individual runners, 18 of them were winners. The overall prize money for 2024 was £531,044 for UK winners and placed horses. The foreign runners added another £207,182 to the pot, mostly thanks to FROST AT DAWN picking up £198,139 on her Dubai and US stints, bringing the grand total to£738,226, again another personal best for the yard.

We got off to a cracking start with FROST AT DAWN winning a Group 3 at Meydan on Super Saturday in March. She ran a couple of times in the UK, facing some stiff challenges in G1 and G2 company, before heading to the US in the autumn. She ran well in her prep race in Keeneland, finishing 4^th, before heading on to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup. Having been in excellent form leading up to the race, she stumbled leaving the stalls and the race was over from there. However, she remains our superstar and picked up just shy of£200,000 for her efforts throughout the year. She has wintered well and the plan is for her to return to Dubai in March.

Domestically, HOLKHAM BAY flew the flag, winning 3 of his 8 starts and picking up £83,250 in prize money.  His first win of the year came at York in June, having been2^nd on his previous 2 starts. He fended off 19 challengers to land this Class 4 handicap over 6f. He next appeared at Ascot in August on Shergar Cup day. Stepping up to Class 2 company, and down to 5f, he won again, landing a valuable prize for connections. A quick run back at York didn’t work out for him, but he secured his 3^rd win of the year back at Ascot in October, finishing the year on a rating of 95 (a 17lb rise from the start of the year).

Good old SIR BUSKER gave his owners plenty of fun, taking them to some nice meetings and getting a memorable win under his belt at York in August. At the ripe old age of 8 he remains sound and happy and continues to enjoy his racing. He picked up a further £73,372 to bring his lifetime winnings to £649,537.

DUALIDENTITY was the next highest earner (£51,839), winning at Sandown in May. He ran consistently all year, being beaten into second by SIR BUSKER at York in August. He ran in some big handicaps including the Cambridgeshire, hitting a career high mark of 100.

ATLANTICGAMBLE was the winning most horse of the year, picking up a total of 6 wins for his lucky owners. Once the penny dropped on his third run, there was no stopping him and he won his next 4 races. A third at Newbury in July came before another 2 wins. His 4 wins on the all-weather earned him a nomination for the ROA Awards. He won £33,000 in prize money and climbed 23 lbs in the ratings. He was a big gangly horse this year, so should come back stronger in2025, following a nice winter break.

TILTEDKILT won first time out at Kempton in June, picking up a nice £25,000 Book 1bonus for his owners.

REGALENVOY also did his owners proud, winning 4 of his 11 starts.

ROYALVELVET, SUGARLOAF LENNY, BLENHEIM STAR and FORGOTTEN TREASURE picked up 3 wins each, with RED HAT EAGLE, STORY HORSE, BEACH POINT and STANDBACKANDLOOK all winning 2 races each. THINK OF A NAME, DUBAWI TIME and JEWEL OF LONDON were the other winners contributing to this standout year for the yard.

The team is now busy gearing up for the 2025 season; we have lots of yearlings in and the older horses have all returned from their winter breaks in the paddocks. Hopefully we can build on the success of 2024 and break new ground in2025! Thank you to all of my owners and staff who have made the success of 2024possible.

‍