Shoot To Kill
Shoot To Kill is a horse that works beautifully at home but has a maddening habit of leaving his best form in the yard. The nine-year-old has won 9 of his 65 races (a 14% win rate) and placed in 29 more, which tells you he is genuinely useful — but also that something keeps holding him back from winning consistently. His last victory came at Gowran Park in August 2025, a full year ago, and in his last six races he has not found the winner's enclosure once, though he did manage two third-place finishes. Trainer
Noel C Kelly, based in Draperstown, describes him frankly: a very good worker at home but frustratingly inconsistent on the track, with a talent for throwing away good fortune just when he seems about to break through.
Based on TrackLab's analysis
Owner
We Never Cash Out Syndicate
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
What makes Shoot To Kill worth watching is his record in Class 4 races — he has won 3 of 11 at that level, a 27% win rate that proves he can compete when the racing is pitched right. The partnership with jockey Darragh Keenan has been particularly strong: they have won together 4 times from 11 races, a 36% win rate that is far above the horse's career average. Kelly's recent comments suggest the yard is trying to steer him towards 6-furlong races on fast, dry ground, where Keenan's partnership with the horse has worked best. The horse was last seen just a day ago and remains active, so there is still time for him to add to his tally — but at nine years old, with a year since his last win, the window may be starting to close for Shoot To Kill to become a consistent winner rather than simply a capable horse who wins now and again.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Course specialist at Lingfield Park: 3 wins from 11 starts (27%)
✔ Effective partnership with Darragh Keenan: 36% win rate together
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on standard_to_slow ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Poor record on good_to_soft ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Yet to win at Leopardstown in 5 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 11 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Standard (all-weather)
Likes
Good (a little give)
Likes
Good to firm (fairly firm)
Unknown
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Standard to slow (all-weather)
Avoids
Good to soft (some give)
Avoids
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Avoids
Class 3 (mid-level)
Likes
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, tight turns
Loves
Right-handed, tight turns
Likes
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
21 Aug
9th
Hamilton Park
5f – 6½f · Good_To_Soft · 11 runners
28 Jul
6th
Galway
7f – 1m · Yielding · 18 runners
8 Jul
3rd
Fairyhouse
7f – 1m · Good · 15 runners
11 Jun
DNF
Leopardstown
7f – 1m · Soft · 16 runners
29 May
2nd
Down Royal
7f – 1m · Good · 17 runners
11 May
3rd
Roscommon
7f – 1m · Good · 18 runners
28 Mar
13th
The Curragh
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft_To_Heavy · 14 runners
27 Feb
DNF
Dundalk
1m1f – 1m2f · Standard · 19 runners
31 Oct
7th
Dundalk
1m1f – 1m2f · Standard · 11 runners
17 Oct
4th
Dundalk
7f – 1m · Standard · 7 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
16 |
2 wins, 2 seconds, 4 thirds, 8 other |
27 Feb |
12.5% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
11 |
3 wins, 2 thirds, 6 other |
29 Mar |
27.3% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
5 |
1 second, 4 other |
11 Jun |
0% |
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
4 |
1 win, 1 second, 2 other |
7 Jan |
25% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
4 |
1 second, 2 thirds, 1 other |
18 Oct |
0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
3 |
1 win, 1 third, 1 other |
11 May |
33.3% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
3 |
1 second, 2 other |
29 May |
0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
3 |
1 third, 2 other |
28 Jul |
0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
28 Mar |
0% |
| Killarney Sharp |
2 |
2 seconds |
16 Jul |
0% |
| Epsom Downs Undulating |
2 |
2 other |
14 Sep |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
2 |
2 other |
28 Jul |
0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 |
1 win |
13 Aug |
100% |
| Brighton Undulating |
1 |
1 win |
9 Aug |
100% |
| Leicester Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
14 Apr |
0% |
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
8 Jul |
0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
7 May |
0% |
| Hamilton Park Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
21 Aug |
0% |
| Laytown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
4 Sep |
0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
23 Sep |
0% |