Silky Wilkie

The highlight of the career came at Musselburgh in April 2023, when Silky Wilkie landed the Scottish Sprint Cup — a Class 2 prize and the kind of win that defines a horse's CV. Trainer Karl Burke has spoken openly about the journey that preceded it: starting the winter campaign on a rating of 90 and riding a purple patch all the way up to 108, a rise that tells you this horse was in the form of its life. Burke has also been candid that a tilt at the Abernant Stakes — a step up in class — may have found the ceiling of what Silky Wilkie can do. That honesty is refreshing, and it shapes how the team manages the horse now: protecting its rating, picking races where it can compete rather than just take part.

Haydock Park has been a genuine home from home. Two wins from just 4 races there is a stunning record — winning half your races at a track is the kind of statistic that makes trainers book the same horsebox every time. Slightly wet or soft ground also brings out the best, with 2 wins from 8 races (25%) on those surfaces. Burke also tried fitting a visor at Ayr after suspecting the horse had learned to coast — it worked, which says something about the shrewdness of the yard.

Jockey Jack Nicholls put it best after a win at Newcastle earlier this year: "For an old boy he's still got a lot of fight." That about sums it up. Silky Wilkie raced just yesterday and last won at Wolverhampton in February — this is a horse that is still very much in the game, still earning, still competitive. At seven, with 62 races in the bank, that is no small thing.