Sky Bet’s Horse On Why It Is the G.O.A.T.

For years, the G.O.A.T. debate has been dominated by human athletes – Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, and Lewis Hamilton, among countless others. But what if we’ve been looking at the wrong species? What if the true ‘Greatest of All Time’ isn’t even human? Enter Sky Bet and Anomaly London’s latest campaign for the Cheltenham Festival, which delivers a bold statement: the G.O.A.T. is a horse.

In a sport that demands raw speed, power, and endurance, the thoroughbred racehorse stands above the rest – literally and figuratively. Weighing half a tonne, galloping at 45mph, and leaping over obstacles with a human on its back, these epic athletes redefine what it means to be elite. To bring this vision to life, Anomaly assembled a dream team of sports storytellers, including director Leigh Powis and photographer Thomas Prior, to craft the irreverent, cinematic campaign.

And here’s the kicker: the story is told straight from the horses’ mouths. With humour, attitude, and undeniable swagger, they set the record straight on why they – not any human – deserve to be called G.O.A.T.

Today, LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to the horse from the campaign, aka the Greatest Athlete of All time, to find out more.

LBB> What was the inspiration behind the bold idea that #The G.O.A.T. is a Horse’, and how did the concept come to life?

The horse>Sky Bet wanted to promote Cheltenham racing to football fans, and those fans debated who is the G.O.A.T. constantly. So this campaign is all for them: it talks their language, fuels their pub table chats, and makes them reconsider us thoroughbreds as the true athletes.

Our campaign takes inspiration from all the great sports-ads. But this time, it’s all about us. We’ve got mane character energy.

LBB> What was the inspiration behind the bold idea that #The G.O.A.T. is a Horse’, and how did the concept come to life?

The horse> I don’t know if you’ve ever stopped to look at thoroughbred racehorses, but we are absolute specimens. Pure muscle, speed, and horse power. Far stronger, faster and prettier than any human athlete there ever was, or ever will be. So it’s only fair we got our moment in the spotlight.

LBB> How did this idea align with Sky Bet's brand values?

The horse> When Anomaly London won the Sky Bet account they promised to give sports fans ‘gifts’ and to never sound like every other betting brand. They want to celebrate and elevate the things the fans love. In this particular case, it’s us, the noble steeds.

LBB> How did the collaboration between Sky Bet and Anomaly shape the vision for this campaign?

The horse> Straight out the gates, there was a strong strategic brief from Sky Bet to ‘Get Football fans to reappraise horse racing’.So Anomaly London came back with a similarly succinct, strong idea. By defining this in a striking, playful line, ‘The G.O.A.T. is a horse’; all the humans that worked on our project were able to get on board for the ride.

LBB> Can you walk us through the creative process – what were the biggest challenges in bringing this idea to life?

The horse> Walk through it? I’ll gallop you through it…Last summer, a group of creatives were ponying about together on this brief. One room. No meetings. No interruptions. More like art college than work (so they claim).

It’s frankly embarrassing it’s taken humans this long to recognise our greatness.

LBB> Director Leigh Powis is known for capturing elite athletes – how did his expertise influence the way the horse was portrayed?

The horse> Leigh had an instant affinity with us. He grew up in Cheltenham, and his Mum used to showjump. Very quickly he tapped into what makes us so heroic and impressive. He deployed amazing in-camera techniques to capture us and understood that the world’s best athletes’ deserved a huge anthemic film. Jog on, Lebron.

LBB> How did photographer Thomas Prior approach capturing the grace and power of the racehorse?

The horse> Thomas is a true pro, and he’s used to photographing human athletes like Lewis Hamilton and Simone Biles flying through the air. He went to great lengths to create an environment where we felt comfortable to do our thing. We thoroughbreds aren’t so used to photoshoots, but it turns out we’re naturals. We struck some epic poses and didn’t try to kick him once.

LBB> The campaign challenges the traditional G.O.A.T. debate – what kind of response do you hope to spark among sports fans?

The horse> Our ambition is football fans talk about us on their WhatsApp groups, and we’re the talk of the stable yard. But as far as we’re concerned, there’s no debate. We’re the greatest athletes. Hooves down.

LBB> What went into the production process to ensure the film and visuals had the cinematic and athletic feel Sky Bet was aiming for?

The horse> Sky Bet and Anomaly’s ambition is to put even more ‘Sky’ back into the brand. So the humans all aligned on a heroic art direction – which is incredibly easy when you’re shooting majestic 15-hand-tall stallions. The real work was shooting us all in an equestrian centre outside Milton Keynes, and fitting us into a ‘six sheet’.

LBB> How does this campaign set the stage for Sky Bet’s new ‘always-on’ racing platform beyond Cheltenham Festival?

The horse> The belief that we are the greatest can be trotted out across the entire racing calendar. Whilst the midweek 3:15 at Doncaster might not have the same grandeur as Cheltenham, all the horses running in it are still absolute beasts (and dear friends).

LBB> What role does humour and swagger play in positioning horse racing within mainstream sports culture?

The horse> Humour and swagger are vitally important when talking to human sports fans. By juxtaposing two animals in our campaign line, ‘The G.O.A.T. is a horse’, they were able to deliver unbridled equine excellence with a smile in the mind.

LBB> If you could compare the racehorse in this campaign to one human G.O.A.T., who would it be and why?

The horse> Neigh comment.