Edelak

Skelton himself is having a remarkable season. Based in Alcester, Warwickshire, his operation has sent out 198 winners this year alone — a number that puts him among the most prolific yards in the country. He bought Edelak from the Aga Khan, and early on he felt the horse had the quality to step up into better company, suggesting there was no great rush to push him. That patience appears to have paid off handsomely.

The key to Edelak is knowing what suits him. On fast, dry ground he wins 2 from 3 races — a 67% record — and over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, he wins 3 of every 4 races he runs. Those are not coincidences; they are a blueprint. The team clearly knows exactly where to place him. Stratford-on-Avon has become something of a home track: two wins from three visits, including a victory there as recently as this week. Some horses simply take to a particular course — perhaps the shape of the track, the way it suits their running style — and Stratford seems to bring out the best in Edelak.

His first career win came at Galway in July 2025, and jockey Georgie Benson revealed afterwards that a small adjustment had made a big difference. Edelak had been underwhelming on a previous run at the Curragh, and trainer Johnny Murtagh had suggested trying blinkers in a mid-week workout. The horse responded immediately — travelling so smoothly through the race that Benson described it as a dream ride. It is a useful reminder that racehorses are not machines; sometimes a small tweak unlocks something. In Edelak's case, it seemed to unlock quite a lot.