Jolly Jack Tar

The highlight so far came at Chelmsford in June 2025, where he got off the mark for the first time. For a 4-year-old still building his career, a first win is an important milestone — and doing it cleanly, having already shown he could compete without winning, suggests he's the sort who learns and improves rather than flashing and fading.

He's trained by John and Thady Gosden at Newmarket, one of the most successful yards in British racing. With 136 winners already this season, this isn't a team that wastes time on horses going nowhere. The fact that they've kept faith with Jolly Jack Tar through four races — including three placed finishes before the win came — tells you they've always believed something was there. The one curiosity is that he hasn't raced in roughly eight months, so whoever watches him next will be seeing a horse returning from a long break. Whether he comes back sharp or needs a run to find his feet is the interesting question. Given what he showed before the break, the smart money is on him being worth watching.