Betweenthesticks

That recent win came at Pontefract on 21 April 2026, and it was no surprise to anyone watching closely. Pontefract is where Betweenthesticks genuinely thrives — 2 wins from just 4 races there, a record that works out to winning half the time. For context, the horse wins roughly 1 in every 6 races overall, so that Pontefract figure is extraordinary. Some horses just click with a particular track, and this one has clearly found its place. Trainer Ruth Carr flagged the meeting in advance during a stable tour that month, so when the horse duly won, it felt less like luck and more like a plan coming together.

Carr runs a serious operation out of Stillington in North Yorkshire — 63 winners sent out this season alone — and Betweenthesticks is exactly the kind of consistent, straightforward horse a yard like that is built around. Carr has described him as a genuinely good buy for his owners, pointing to three wins and four places in a single season as evidence. "Genuine and straightforward" is the phrase she used, and in racing that is high praise. Flashy horses make headlines; genuine horses make money and keep owners coming back.

On normal ground, Betweenthesticks is at his very best — 4 wins from 12 races, meaning he wins 1 in every 3 on a standard surface. That is a completely different animal to the 1-in-6 overall average, and it tells you conditions matter enormously for this horse. Jockey Rose Dawes has partnered him 13 times for 2 wins together, building a working relationship that clearly suits both horse and rider. At Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter end of the sport — he has won 3 from 25, a solid return for that competitive grade. Betweenthesticks may never headline a big festival, but as a reliable, well-managed horse still winning races at six years old, he is exactly what makes the day-to-day fabric of British racing worth watching.