Star of Guiting

The key to understanding this horse is ground and course. On slightly soft or muddy ground, Star of Guiting is a different proposition entirely, winning 3 of 8 races (a 38% win rate) compared with a much thinner record on faster surfaces. Musselburgh, in particular, brings out the best — the horse has won twice in four races there, and that recent Class 2 success came at that same track. Nine months without a win is a long absence, but it may simply reflect the difficulty of finding the right combination of conditions, course, and company.

Ewan Whillans trains Star of Guiting from his Hawick yard in the Scottish Borders, a stable that has enjoyed a productive season with 28 winners already. Craig Nichol is the horse's most frequent rider, though the partnership has recorded just one win from five races together. Typically, Star of Guiting races in Class 4 company, where the record stands at 2 wins from 7 races. The most recent six outings tell a mixed story — the January win sandwiched between efforts that brought a top-3 finish, a couple of mid-field performances, and a missed race — but the horse remains active and capable of another success when ground conditions turn in its favour and a suitable opportunity appears.