Billy Bathgate

Whillans tends to rely on jockey Rowan Scott when Billy Bathgate heads to the track, and that partnership has produced 3 wins from 11 races together — a win rate of 27%, or better than 1 in 4. For context, the horse's overall career win rate sits at roughly 1 in every 11 races, so Scott clearly gets something extra out of him. The horse's first career win came at Ayr in June 2023, and his most recent was at Wolverhampton in December 2025 — seven months ago now, with six races since without adding to the tally.

Billy Bathgate is at his best over long distances, two miles or more, where he has won 3 of his 18 races at that trip — roughly 1 in 6. That might not sound dramatic, but in a sport where tiny margins separate horses across an entire season, finding your niche matters enormously. He also has a clear preference for fast, dry ground, winning 2 of just 5 races in those conditions — a 40% win rate that is genuinely eye-catching and suggests that when the sun comes out, he becomes a much more dangerous proposition.

Most of his career has been spent at Class 6 level, which is the entry level of British racing — the place where horses like Billy Bathgate earn their keep week in, week out, away from the glamour of the top meetings. He has won 4 of 37 races at that level, around 1 in every 9. He will never headline a famous race, but at 10 years old, still racing, still placing, and with a trainer clearly willing to keep finding him opportunities, Billy Bathgate is exactly the kind of honest, durable racehorse that keeps a small yard ticking over. Plenty of more expensive horses have done considerably less.