Rickety Gate

The numbers that really stand out are on normal ground and at Kelso. On a standard track, Rickety Gate has won 4 of 12 races — that is 1 in 3, a conversion rate that any trainer would take. At Kelso specifically, it has won 2 from just 4 visits, which means every other time it turns up there, it wins. That is not a coincidence — that is a horse that suits a particular track, and it is the kind of detail worth knowing. Trainer Nicky Richards, who operates out of Greystoke in Cumbria and has sent out 39 winners already this season, has spoken warmly about the horse as a reliable performer at its level, though he has noted the ground needs to be right — anything wet or soft and the team tend to look elsewhere.

Jockey Conor Rabbitt has clearly built a strong understanding with this horse. In 11 rides together they have won 4 times — that is more than 1 in every 3 races, a genuinely impressive ratio and well above the horse's overall career average. When Rabbitt is in the saddle, things tend to go right.

The recent form raises fair questions. Six races without a win, and a run finishing 14th mixed in among the placed efforts — although there is also a dash in that sequence, suggesting a non-completion at some point. The last win came at Carlisle in April 2025, which is now 13 months ago. Richards has previously talked about the horse needing a run or two to find its confidence after a fall at Doncaster, so interruptions to form are not without precedent here. At 11, the clock is ticking, but a horse that ran just yesterday, loves the conditions when they suit, and owns a favourite track in Kelso is far from a spent force.