Defence Witness: horse profile, stats, records and next races
Defence Witness is a 7-year-old gelding by Court Cave, trained by Sam England. He has won 3 of 20 starts and placed in 8 more, for £21,107 in prize money. He has won 2 of 8 on good to soft ground, which is the surface to note. He runs next in the 4:50 at Hexham on 20 October. His best performance rating is 110, which is the figure to judge him against in this grade.
- Runs 20
- Wins 3
- Placed 11
- Strike rate 15%
- Prize money £21,107
- Best rating 110
- Official rating 94
Where Defence Witness runs next
| Time | Course | Race | Best price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:50 | Hexham | Northumbria Leisure Handicap Steeple Chase (Go North Red Rum Series Qualifier) | — |
Defence Witness form and race record
| Date | Course | Race | Dist | Going | Pos | Beaten | SP | Jockey | OR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 26 | Cartmel | Molson Coors Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m 1.5f | Good | 6 | 27 | 5/2 | Richie McLernon | 94 |
| 10 Apr 26 | Sedgefield | bet365 Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m 2.5f | Good | 2 | 2.5 | EvensF | Theo Gillard | 94 |
| 21 Mar 26 | Kelso | BetWright Novices' Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Class 2 | 2m 5.5f | Good To Soft | 7 | 16 | 11/1 | Jonathan England | 94 |
| 19 Feb 26 | Sedgefield | Seaside Travel Spectacular Shoreline Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m 2.5f | Soft | 2 | 3.25 | EvensF | Jonathan England | 94 |
| 21 Jan 26 | Catterick | racingtv.com Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m 1f | Soft | 1 | — | 5/1 | Jamie Hamilton | 90 |
| 1 Jan 26 | Catterick | Book The Great Value Horseshoe Package Handicap Chase Class 5 | 2m 3f | Good | 2 | 2.5 | 10/11F | Jamie Hamilton | 90 |
| 16 Dec 25 | Catterick | Support The Injured Jockeys Fund Novices' Handicap Chase Class 5 | 2m 3f | Good To Soft | 3 | 25.5 | 12/1 | Jamie Hamilton | 91 |
| 29 Jun 25 | Cartmel | Beckside Spa Retreat Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m 1.5f | Good To Soft | 5 | 8.75 | 11/8F | Jonathan England | 92 |
| 24 May 25 | Cartmel | North West Air Ambulance Handicap Chase Class 5 | 2m 5f | Good To Soft | 1 | — | 6/4F | Jonathan England | 90 |
| 17 Mar 25 | Southwell | Enjoy The Racing App For Free Novices' Limited Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 3m 0.5f | Good To Soft | 8 | 51.75 | 11/2 | Tom Midgley | 92 |
| 9 Dec 24 | Musselburgh | LiveScore Bet Best Odds Daily Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 3m | Good To Soft | 3 | 5.75 | 9/2 | Ryan Mania | 92 |
| 29 Nov 24 | Musselburgh | Two Plus Two Handicap Chase Class 5 | 2m 7.5f | Good To Soft | 4 | 5.75 | EvensF | Ryan Mania | 92 |
| 4 Oct 24 | Hexham | Bet Calculator At Oddsmetrik.Com Novices' Handicap Chase Class 5 | 3m | Good | 6 | 23.5 | 3/1 | Danny McMenamin | 95 |
| 17 Aug 24 | Perth | Follow racingtv On Instagram Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 3m | Good | 6 | 6.75 | 4/1F | Danny McMenamin | 97 |
| 22 Jul 24 | Cartmel | Henry Cavendish 10th Birthday Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 2m 6f | Soft | 3 | 16 | 6/1 | Ryan Mania | 98 |
| 23 Jun 24 | Hexham | Langley Castle Hotel Supporting Ladies Day Novices' Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 2m 7.5f | Good | 7 | 13.75 | 16/1 | Ryan Mania | 101 |
| 6 Jun 24 | Uttoxeter | Download The Raceday Ready App Handicap Hurdle Class 5 | 2m | Good | 9 | 28 | 4/1 | Ryan Mania | 101 |
| 15 Feb 24 | Newcastle | High Horse Design 'National Hunt' Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Class 4 | 2m 4.5f | Heavy | 3 | 18 | 3/1 | Ryan Mania | – |
| 11 Jan 24 | Catterick | Friends Of Kiplin Hall/EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) Class 4 | 2m 3.5f | Soft | 3 | 17.75 | 13/2 | Ryan Mania | – |
| 24 Nov 23 | Catterick | Racing Again 19th December Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) Class 5 | 1m 7.5f | Good To Soft | 1 | — | 16/5 | Ryan Mania | – |
Last time out
Finished 6 in the Molson Coors Handicap Chase at Cartmel on 23 May 2026. Held up in mid-pack early - dropped away after the second-last - finished well beaten in 6th.
Defence Witness by distance
| Split | Runs | Wins | Strike rate | Level stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24f | 3 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 25.5f | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 26.5f | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 19f | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 23.5f | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 21.5f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 25f | 1 | 1 | 100% | — |
| 21f | 1 | 1 | 100% | — |
| 24.5f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 22f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 16f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 20.5f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 19.5f | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| 15.5f | 1 | 1 | 100% | — |
Defence Witness by going
| Split | Runs | Wins | Strike rate | Level stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good To Soft | 8 | 2 | 25% | — |
| Good | 7 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Soft | 4 | 1 | 25% | — |
| Heavy | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
Defence Witness by course
| Split | Runs | Wins | Strike rate | Level stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catterick | 5 | 2 | 40% | — |
| Cartmel | 4 | 1 | 25% | — |
| Sedgefield | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Musselburgh | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Hexham | 2 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Kelso | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Southwell | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Perth | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Uttoxeter | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
| Newcastle | 1 | 0 | 0% | — |
Defence Witness breeding
- Sire Court Cave (IRE)
- Dam Colleen Dubh (IRE)
- Damsire Presenting (GB)
- Breeder Brian And Mrs Bronagh Lawler
- Foaled 24 March 2019
Bookmakers we rate for racing
Every one holds a UK Gambling Commission licence and has been reviewed against the same criteria. Compare UK horse racing betting sites.
-
bet365Claim
Deposit £10 and get £30 in Free Bets with code 365GMBLR. 365GMBLR
New Bet365 Customers Only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration Required. The bonus code 365GMBLR can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #ad See full terms · Our bet365 review
-
BetfredClaim
Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 × £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 × £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Betfred review
-
BetwayClaim
New Customers at Betway Get £40 Acca Free Bet
New customers only. Place min £10 bet at min odds 2.0. £40 in Free Bet Tokens awarded as 4×£10. 7-day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Betway review
-
Mecca BingoClaim
Deposit £5, Get £20 Bingo Bonus or 50 Free Spins
New players. Dep (Excl. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £5 (within 7 days) on selected slots for spins or £5 in selected bingo rooms – 5x wagering for bingo bonus. Individual promo T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Mecca Bingo review
-
Lucky PantsClaim
Up to £35 or 100 Free Spins
New Lucky Pants players. Dep (Excl. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £5 (within 7 days) on Fishin’ Frenzy for spins on the same game or £5 in Main Event Bingo for bonus. 6x wagering in the same room. Individual promo T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Lucky Pants review
18+ Commercial content. Links to bookmakers are affiliate links and we may earn a commission, which never changes an order. Offers change — check the bookmaker’s own terms before betting. GambleAware.org