Billy Bathgate

What makes Billy genuinely interesting is the partnership he has found with jockey Rowan Scott. Across their eleven rides together, Scott has steered him home in three races — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 3 or 4 starts. That is dramatically better than Billy's overall record, and better still than his typical performance with other riders, suggesting a real affinity between horse and jockey that counts for something real on the track. His trainer, Ewan Whillans, based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, has worked to identify the conditions where Billy thrives. The horse absolutely loves fast, dry ground, winning three races from seven outings in those conditions — a 43% success rate that stands out sharply against his performances elsewhere.

Billy also shows a pronounced preference for longer races at two miles or beyond, where he has won three times from eighteen attempts, and he is a course specialist at Redcar, where he has won twice from four races. His most recent victory came five weeks ago at Redcar on 19 July 2026, proof that despite his age, he remains sharp and capable of racing at a competitive level, typically in Class 6 company where he has won four races from thirty-seven. Last out just a day ago, he appears still active and available for future racing. For a horse in his eleventh year of racing, that is no small achievement.