Kats Bob

Trainer Ruth Carr, who operates out of Stillington in North Yorkshire and has sent out 63 winners already this season, describes Kats Bob as a front-runner who wears his heart on his sleeve — the type that goes to the front and drags everything out of itself every time. Easy to manage, straightforward to train, and clearly a favourite around the yard. Those are not small things. Horses like this are the backbone of a busy racing stable.

His partnership with jockey Andrew Mullen is one of the more interesting threads in his story. Together they have raced 28 times, producing 5 wins — that is roughly 1 in every 6 rides — which might sound modest, but when you consider how long and how consistently they have worked together, it suggests a genuine understanding between horse and rider.

The numbers really sharpen up when you look at specific conditions. On normal ground Kats Bob has won 5 of his 17 races — nearly 1 in 3 — and at Southwell he has won 2 of just 5 visits, which is an impressive return. Some horses simply suit a track, and Southwell seems to suit him. His last win came at York in June 2025, so it has been nearly a year since he was in the winner's enclosure, and his recent form — finishing fourth, ninth, second, fifth, fourth, and third — suggests a horse that is competitive without quite finding the right moment to land the prize.

Carr mentioned after a promising second at Catterick on his return from a break that she has him declared at Ripon and is watching what the handicapper decides to do about that run. She is not rushing him, but he seems in good shape. For a horse that has been consistently competitive across 62 races, one good day at the right track in the right conditions could easily bring up win number thirteen.