Yeats began his racing career as a two-year-old with a win by four lengths in a maiden race, over eight furlongs, at the Curragh.
2004: three-year-old season
Yeats was unbeaten in his next two starts, including the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial in May 2004, and was hot favourite for The Derby, but met with a setback just days before the race and missed the rest of the season, returning almost 1 year later, finishing 2nd in a Group 3 in Ireland on heavy ground.
2005: four-year-old season
Yeats' next start came at Epsom in the Coronation Cup, taking on subsequent Japan Cup winner Alkaased, Bandari and dual Coronation Cup winner Warrsan. Jockey Kieren Fallon adopted front-running tactics on the colt, and pulled away in the final quarter-mile to win by more than 2 lengths. The win made Yeats the first Irish-based horse to win the Coronation Cup since Roberto in 1973. Yeats attempted to follow up in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over the same distance, with new jockey Jimmy Fortune adopting hold-up tactics, but they failed to pay off, and Yeats trailed in 9th, 20 lengths behind the winner Alkaased. The Irish St. Leger came next, reunited with Kieren Fallon, adopting similar hold-up tactics as Fortune in Yeats' previous start, and was staying-on towards the finish to come 4th, just a length and a half behind the winner Collier Hill. His final start of the season was to be the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada over 12 furlongs, but he missed the break and could never recover, finishing 12 lengths behind the victor.
2006: five-year-old season
Yeats' first start of the 2006 season was at Royal Ascot in the Ascot Gold Cup, some 247 days after the Woodbine Canadian International Stakes. Fallon adopted a prominent position towards the start, and got to the front 4 furlongs out, and was only pulling away towards the end, winning by 4 lengths from Prix du Cadran winner Reefscape. He attempted a rare double with the Goodwood Cup at the Glorious Goodwood meeting, carrying top weight and easing to victory by 5 lengths under new jockey Michael Kinane, since Fallon was banned from riding in the UK. Yeats finished a disappointing 7th in the Melbourne Cup, with Kieren Fallon stating that his mount just lacked his usual finishing kick and was not suited by the stop-start pace of the race. He was forced to make a big move a mile out to get to the front, ensuring that he maintained his speed for the finishing straight. He was voted the 2006 Cartier Racing Award as Top Stayer.
2007: six-year-old season
In 2007 Yeats won his second consecutive Ascot Gold Cup and followed that up by winning the Irish St. Leger on his third attempt, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his first win in that race, and the 1-2 as stablemate Scorpion came a close second to Yeats.
2008: seven-year-old season
On 19 June 2008 Yeats became only the second horse in history to win the Ascot Gold Cup three times in succession, defeating Geordieland by 5 lengths. He followed this on 31 July with a second victory in the Goodwood Cup, winning by 7 lengths. Later in the year, on 26 October he won the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp.
2009: eight-year-old season
On 18 June 2009, Yeats made Ascot history, becoming the first horse ever to win the Ascot Gold Cup four times in succession, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, and winning by 3½ lengths, making him arguably the best stayer of all time. Although many believe Ardross to be the best stayer of modern times.
Stud record
Yeats was retired to stud after his 2009 campaign. He has previously stood at Coolmore's headquarters farm in Ireland, but now stands at the company's National Hunt breeding farm, also in Ireland.
