Team Player

His breakthrough came at Chester in July 2025, and since then he has found the winner's circle three more times. The pattern to his success is clear: give him normal ground and a distance between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, and he shows real class. Over those lengths on standard going, he has won three of nine races — a 33 per cent win rate that tells you this is where he thrives. On normal ground across all distances, he is even more impressive, winning two of five races.

Trained by Ewan Whillans at Hawick in the Scottish Borders, Team Player last tasted victory at Musselburgh on 4 April 2026, five months ago now. Since then his form has been patchy. In his last six races — most recent first — he has finished eighth, eleventh, second, ninth, fifth, and first, which shows the kind of inconsistency that plagues many mid-range horses. He stays out of the very top races; at Class 4 level he has managed just one win from seven attempts. That does not diminish what he is capable of, but it does suggest the ceiling of his ambition is clear.

What matters is that he is still in training and still racing. The yard he runs from has sent out 28 winners this season, so he is part of an outfit doing real work. Team Player will win more races if the cards fall right — softer ground perhaps, the right distance, and a race where his class can show — but he will have to do it at the level where he belongs.