Skerry Hill

Elliott's stable, based in Longwood in County Meath, has been in extraordinary form this season, sending out 209 winners already. That is a machine-room operation, and horses don't get much airtime unless they genuinely deserve it. Yet before Skerry Hill had even raced, Elliott was telling people to remember his name — high praise from a trainer who sees hundreds of horses come through the yard each year. He had been impressed watching him win his point-to-point under Cormac Abernethy and felt he simply did everything right. That kind of instinct from a trainer of Elliott's experience is worth paying attention to.

The five-year-old opened his account at Down Royal on the 31st of October 2025, winning on debut in what Elliott afterwards called a baby performance — green, still learning, but clearly talented. The trainer's words after that race are telling: he flagged that this is a big horse, one who has a future over fences as a chaser, not a sprinter to be rushed around the calendar. And he was as good as his word — Skerry Hill largely disappeared from view after that first win, given time to develop rather than being thrown into races for the sake of it.

Then came Ayr on the 18th of April 2026, just a day ago. A second race, a second win. Two starts, two wins, a 100% record — he has won every single race he has entered. That kind of unblemished record raises expectations, but it also raises questions about where he goes next. Elliott's own assessment suggests the long game is being played here. A horse described as "a big chaser" before he has even jumped a fence is one the yard clearly believes has significant talent sitting untapped. For now, Skerry Hill is simply unbeaten and, if Elliott's early read on him is right, probably just getting started.