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Horse profile

The Mad Poet (IRE)

5yo gelding · Trainer Dan Skelton · Owner Agardsley Investments Dan Skelton
by Poet's Word (IRE) out of Zariyana (IRE) (Desert Prince (IRE))
4 runs · 4 courses · from Mar 2025
As at 12 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: GB, Ireland & France · 2005–present, updated daily
Last run 6 Nov 2026 · 4th of 10
KTB Profile

The Mad Poet is a gelding by Poet's Word out of a Desert Prince mare who has shown placed form over hurdles. He is yet to win from four starts on turf with his best effort a second of six at Wetherby in Mar 2025. He has raced over 1m5f to 2m on three of those starts and over 2m1f to 2m4f once. He finished fourth of 10 in a Class 4 maiden hurdle at Fontwell in Nov 2026 having been held.

Based on 4 archived runs · run-style from 4 commented runs since Mar 2025 · updated 12 Nov 2026

KTB Speed and Rating

KTB Speed

Best recent Speed 140 the best of the last 2 graded (A or B) runs · Wetherby, 18 Mar 2025

How fast the horse ran, as points against the day-corrected standard time for its course and distance: 100 is the median GB Class 4 handicap winner on that code; one point is 0.1% of the standard time. A, B or C is how much the day's card could tell us, not how good the run was. What this means →

Jumps 3 figures · best 140B · median 127
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 12 Nov 2025
Good2140B1221 run · —
Good to Soft1——1 run · —
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 12 Nov 2025
1m5f – 2m2140B133.51 run · —
2m1f – 2m4f1——1 run · —

Of 4 runs looked at, 1 has no figure: not enough races on the card to set the day (under 4) (1).

KTB Speed v1 · batch 15 Sep 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 3 figures from 4 runs · as at 12 Nov 2026 · 1 recent figure provisional (may move for 7 days) · a record, not a forecast

KTB Rating

Best recent KTB Rating 132A the best of the last 3 rated runs · Newbury, 21 Mar 2026

What the horse achieved in each race, in pounds on the official-rating scale, from the weight carried, the lengths beaten and the race's own level solved across the archive — never the market, never the official rating as a starting point. The headline is the best of the horse's last three rated runs on that code — its best recent day. The KTB Rating on a racecard is a different reading of the same figures: the level the horse has been running to, an average of up to its last six runs with the latest counting most, so the two can differ. A, B or C on a run is how much known form was in that race. What this means →

Jumps 4 figures · best 132A · median 117.5
GoingRunsBestMedianSince 12 Nov 2025
Good2107B102.51 run · —
Good to Soft1——1 run · —
Soft1——1 run · —
DistanceRunsBestMedianSince 12 Nov 2025
1m5f – 2m3132A1282 runs · 132 / 130
2m1f – 2m4f1——1 run · —

KTB Rating v1 · batch 3 Oct 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 4 figures from 4 runs · as at 12 Nov 2026 · 1 recent figure provisional (may move for 7 days) · a record, not a forecast

Both figures are KTB's own, computed from the archive; no vendor rating enters either. Every run's figure is on its form line below with its grade. Grades measure how much the archive could see, never the merit of the run.

Run style from 4 analysed runs since Mar 2025

  • Held up 4 (100%) · 0 wins

Pedigree intelligence

Sire

Progeny in our archive have won 10.2% of 765 runs since May 2022 (151 horses).

Strongest on standard (aw) going: 13.9% from 108.

GoingRunsWinsSRvs sireThis horse
Firm200%−10.2—
Good to Firm51815.7%+5.5—
Good220188.2%−20 from 2
Good to Soft152159.9%−0.30 from 1
Soft165137.9%−2.30 from 1
Heavy67913.4%+3.2—
Standard (AW)1081513.9%+3.7—
Distance (all codes)RunsWinsSRvs sireThis horse
Under 6f500%−10.2—
6f – 7f79810.1%−0.1—
1m – 1m1f65812.3%+2.1—
1m2f – 1m4f9899.2%−1—
1m5f – 2m2702810.4%+0.20 from 3
2m1f – 2m4f203209.9%−0.30 from 1
2m5f – 3m4249.5%−0.7—
Over 3m3133.3%+23.1—

Flat and jumps together (all codes) · since May 2022 · as at 12 Nov 2026 · rows under 30 runs muted · win % is the measure, a record not a forecast

Dam
Zariyana (IRE) (Desert Prince (IRE))

6 siblings in the archive, 3 winners — best of them Zariyano (FR) (3 wins).

The wins came over 1m1½f–2m3f; the highest grade won is Class 4 (Zalvados (FR)).

ProduceRunsWinsWin tripsBest grade
Zariyano (FR)4031m1½f–1m2f—
Zalvados (FR)3522m–2m3fClass 4
Black Soul (IRE)2612m1½f—
Zaryio (FR)30——
Zerano (FR)30——
Nearlybens (IRE)10——

Record by conditions

GoingRunsWinsSR£1
Good 2 0 0% −2.00
Good to Soft 1 0 0% −1.00
Soft 1 0 0% −1.00

ClassRunsWinsSR£1
Class 4 1 0 0% −1.00
Class 2 1 0 0% −1.00
Class 1 1 0 0% −1.00
Class 5 1 0 0% −1.00

CourseRunsWinsSR£1
Fontwell 1 0 0% −1.00
Newbury 1 0 0% −1.00
Cheltenham 1 0 0% −1.00
Wetherby 1 0 0% −1.00

DistanceRunsWinsSR£1
1m5f – 2m 3 0 0% −3.00
2m1f – 2m4f 1 0 0% −1.00

JockeyRunsWinsSR£1
Harry Skelton 2 0 0% −2.00
Tristan Durrell 1 0 0% −1.00
Robert Dunne 1 0 0% −1.00

SeasonRunsWinsSR£1
2026 2 0 0% −2.00
2025 2 0 0% −2.00

TypeRunsWinsSR£1
NH Flat 3 0 0% −3.00
Hurdle 1 0 0% −1.00

Splits include every sample, however small — muted rows are under 3 runs. A one-from-one record is a fact, not a trend: read the Runs column before the strike rate.

Form

DateCourseRace PosBtn Wgt SpdKTB Jockey SP
2026 · 2 runs
06 Nov 26+230d Fontwell KSR Lighting Maiden Hurdle Race (GBB Race) Class 4 · 2m1½f · Good · 10 ran Settled at the back of the field early - lost ground after 3 out and dropped away tamely to finish 4th 4/10 26 11-4 104C98C Tristan Durrell 7/2
21 Mar 26+125d Newbury Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper (Open NH Flat Race) (GBB Race) Class 2 · 2m½f · Good To Soft · 20 ran Settled at the back early - urged forward passing the 3f marker - travelling fairly but boxed in short of 2f out - eased left for space when asked for effort inside the final furlong - stayed on late without threatening the front - finished sixth 6/20 ½ 11-6 127B132A Robert Dunne 20/1
2025 · 2 runs
16 Nov 25+243d Cheltenham Three Counties Christmas Open NH Flat Race (Listed) (GBB Race) Class 1 · 2m½f · Soft · 13 ran Held up towards back - improved into contention behind front group 3f out - urged into home turn and pressed on outside final furlong - stayed on at one gait to finish fifth 5/13 1 11-2 —128A Harry Skelton 14/1
18 Mar 25 Wetherby Thank You Wetherby Groundstaff Groundsweek Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) Class 5 · 2m · Good · 6 ran Settled towards the back early - made progress on the inner approaching 3f out - moved into second inside the final 2f but always second best 2/6 8 10-6 140B107B Harry Skelton 10/11F

Quick answers

How many races has The Mad Poet won?
The Mad Poet (IRE) has yet to win, from 4 archived starts between 2025 and 2026. Placed 1 time in total (25% of starts).
Who trains The Mad Poet?
The Mad Poet (IRE) is trained by Dan Skelton, who saddled the horse on its most recent run on 6 November 2026.
Who is The Mad Poet's sire?
The Mad Poet (IRE) is by Poet's Word (IRE) out of Zariyana (IRE), whose sire is Desert Prince (IRE).
What is The Mad Poet's sire's record?
Poet's Word (IRE)'s progeny in our archive have won 10.2% of 765 runs since May 2022 (151 horses), Flat and jumps together. Strongest on standard (aw) going: 13.9% from 108.
Who are The Mad Poet's siblings?
Out of Zariyana (IRE), The Mad Poet (IRE) has 6 other produce in our archive, 3 of them winners. Most wins: Zariyano (FR) (3). Highest grade won: Class 4 (Zalvados (FR)). The wins came over 1m1½f–2m3f. As at Nov 2026.

Record shown from March 2025. Our archive holds racing in Great Britain, Ireland and France from January 2005. Any runs before that, or in other countries, are not in it. In-running comments are available from 2024 onward.