Lavida Adiva

Across 20 races, Lavida Adiva has won 4 and placed 13 times — a record that means she has finished in the top three in more than eight out of every ten races she has entered. Her win rate of around 1 in 5 (20%) is solid, but the sheer consistency is the more striking number. She rarely runs a bad race, even when she does not win. Jefferson admits she got things wrong early last season — pushing the horse too hard at Aintree and then running her on heavy, waterlogged ground at Haydock that she simply hated. The turnaround came on Boxing Day at Aintree, and from there the season caught fire, culminating in a Listed win at Kelso in March 2025 — one of the top races in Britain — over a longer trip that Jefferson had quietly suspected would suit her.

That Kelso triumph was no accident. Jefferson rode her on the Monday beforehand, felt something click, and simply knew. She had also protected the horse the time before, instructing the jockey not to push her hard on ground she disliked. That kind of patience and feel is what separates good trainers from great ones. The yard has sent out eight winners this season and Lavida Adiva has been central to that tally.

Her most recent win came at Doncaster on 13 December 2025 — another Class 1 prize, meaning she has now won two of the top races in Britain. Brian Hughes, who rides her in partnership more than anyone else, has won 3 of their 9 races together — roughly 1 in 3 — a remarkable ratio. She is at her best when the ground has a little moisture in it, winning 3 from 9 races (33%) in those conditions. Her current form reads 7-2-3-4-1-4, which shows a horse deep in a campaign but consistently knocking on the door. She raced just yesterday. Small, opinionated, and very hard to beat on her day — Lavida Adiva is exactly the kind of horse that keeps a racing yard buzzing through the winter.