Scalpnagoon

Both wins came in a short burst early in 2025 — first at Thurles in January, then at Naas in February — and Elliott was candid after each one about where he saw the horse's ceiling. After Naas, he admitted he had been worried about the wet ground both times, but Scalpnagoon had answered any doubts by showing real determination and jumping cleanly throughout. Elliott flagged even then that fences were the long-term plan. A horse that can win on ground that worries its own trainer is one with something to offer.

Since that February win, Scalpnagoon has not added to his tally across six subsequent races, with his most recent run coming just yesterday. The form figures of 2-3-6-10 in his last four completed starts suggest he has found things tougher as the season has gone on, but that needs context: Elliott revealed on a stable tour in late October 2025 that the horse is a big, physical type, and his feeling is that jumping fences — rather than hurdles — will unlock another level of improvement. A beginners' chase is expected shortly.

That kind of trainer confidence matters, particularly when it comes from a yard that has sent out 210 winners already this season. Elliott's operation at Longwood in County Meath is one of the most powerful in Ireland, and horses he identifies as improvers through chasing often prove him right. Scalpnagoon arrives at that new challenge with two wins already on his record, a clean jumping technique, and a trainer who clearly believes the most interesting chapter is still ahead.