Scots Poet

What makes Scots Poet genuinely interesting is how dramatically his form improves when the ground turns wet or muddy. Over eight races on soft or heavy ground, he has won twice—a 25 per cent win rate that towers above his overall average. Wet ground is notoriously tricky terrain for many horses, but Scots Poet thrives in it, and any trainer worth their salt will have noticed this pattern and tried to time his races accordingly. He is also a course specialist at Sedgefield, where he has won twice from five races, suggesting he has found something in that track that suits his running style.

Trainer Ewan Whillans, based at Hawick in the Scottish Borders, has given Scots Poet a solid platform, and the partnership with jockey Craig Nichol has yielded four wins from 24 rides together—a respectable 17 per cent rate that hints at real understanding between horse and rider. Scots Poet was last raced just one day ago and remains an active, sound racehorse. His last win came three months back at Perth, and he has picked up two victories from his last six races, suggesting he has not fallen away with age. For a ten-year-old, he is still turning up, still trying, and still winning occasionally—the kind of honest, durable animal that racing yards depend on to fill their cards and keep the engine running.