Shayem

What is particularly striking is the quality of those wins. Shayem broke through at Haydock Park in August 2025 as a two-year-old, and within two months had won a Class 2 race at Epsom Downs — one of the most famous tracks in the world — and then a Class 1 race at Pontefract in October, which is as good as it gets in British racing. To reach that level so quickly, and so young, says something real about his ability. His most recent win came at Newmarket just this week, confirming he has carried his form into a new season.

His record is not spotless. Burke is candid about a run in the Saudi Derby on a dirt surface — a completely different type of ground from the grass tracks Shayem has thrived on — which was a poor fit for the horse and produced a result that doesn't reflect his true ability. It is the kind of honest self-assessment that explains why the yard, which has sent out an extraordinary 145 winners this season alone, is so well regarded.

Burke sees Shayem as a solid performer at Listed and Group 3 level — which sit just below the very top tier of European racing — but hints he might be better still. He has also mentioned a preference for wet or soft conditions, suggesting the horse has a little more to offer when the ground is testing. With recent form reading 1-4-5-1-1-3, and a Class 1 win already banked at just three years old, Shayem looks like a horse who has already achieved a great deal and still has room to grow.