Pied Piper

Gordon Elliott's yard in Longwood, Co Meath, is one of the most powerful training operations in Ireland. With 209 winners already sent out this season alone, Elliott is the kind of trainer who knows exactly where to place a horse to give it the best chance. Pied Piper has been part of that setup throughout its career, with Jack Kennedy — one of the most respected jump jockeys around — taking the ride 9 times and winning twice together, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 4 and a half rides.

What makes Pied Piper interesting from a conditions standpoint is its unusual flexibility. On normal ground, it has won 4 of 8 races — exactly half. On very wet, muddy ground, it has won 2 of 5. Most horses have a strong preference one way or the other; this one seems almost indifferent, which gives the team far more options when planning its season.

That said, the current run of form asks questions. Pied Piper has not won in its last 6 races — finishing ninth, sixth, fifth, and second among those efforts before two blanks — and the last win came at Roscommon in June 2025, now 10 months ago. That Roscommon win shows the ability is still there, but converting it consistently at the top level has proven elusive. At Class 1, the horse has managed just 1 win from 5 attempts, a 20% rate that suggests it can compete but not dominate at the very highest grade.

Still active and raced as recently as 18 days ago, Pied Piper is a horse whose Cheltenham record alone makes it worth watching — and with Elliott plotting the path, another big-day performance would surprise nobody.