Tarbat Ness

What makes Tarbat Ness genuinely interesting is how the ground matters. On wet or muddy ground, the record reads 3 wins from 9 races — that's 1 in every 3, which is a completely different horse to the one that turns up on a dry summer afternoon. On normal conditions, it's still a solid 2 from 8, roughly 1 in 4. Put those two things together and you have a horse that simply does not want the ground fast and firm. Trainer John Berry, based at Newmarket, has had 13 winners this season, so he knows how to place a horse, and keeping Tarbat Ness away from firm ground looks like a key part of the strategy.

The partnership with jockey Gina Mangan is worth noting. In 11 races together, they've won 4 — that's winning more than 1 in every 3 rides, a number that would make most jockey-horse combinations in the sport genuinely envious. When Mangan is booked, something is clearly clicking.

At seven years old, Tarbat Ness is no youngster, but the recent form suggests there's still plenty to give. The last six runs read 5-4-6-4-4-1 — a win last month at Newcastle followed by four placed efforts, which is the profile of a horse that is showing up and being competitive rather than running out of ideas. A win just three months ago, in February 2026, confirms this isn't a horse running on reputation alone.

Having raced just yesterday, Tarbat Ness is very much in the thick of a busy campaign. This is a seven-year-old doing what it does best — turning up, handling soft ground, and making life difficult for rivals at the bottom end of the game. Unspectacular, perhaps. But quietly, stubbornly reliable.