Jasour

The Ascot win in May 2024 felt like it might be the start of something. His trainer, C G Cox at Lambourn, was talking immediately about stepping him up to the July Cup, one of the summer's most prestigious sprints. But the horse has not won in the 27 months since that race. His last six runs show placings mixed with mid-field finishes—a second at Haydock, two sixths, and a 15th that suggests he was well beaten. Most recently, just a day ago, he finished 15th, the kind of result that makes you wonder if the window has closed.

Cox remains convinced there is more to come. A bruised foot disrupted his comeback at Haydock earlier this season, and the trainer notes he was still finding his feet after time away. Jim Crowley, who has ridden Jasour in nine races and won twice aboard him, seems to have established a real connection—they clicked in that Newmarket July win in 2023, and Cox has clearly invested time and patience in keeping the horse mentally right after what sounds like some early nervousness as a younger animal. At Class 1 level, Jasour wins roughly 1 in every 5 races, which suggests he belongs there. The question now is whether he can find that touch again, or whether the 2024 Ascot win was the peak of his career.