Shayem

Trainer K R Burke, who has sent out 145 winners from his North Yorkshire yard this season alone, is clearly working with something special. Burke has indicated that Shayem is a solid Listed and Group 3 horse with the potential to be better still, and has identified the Feilden Stakes as his likely next target. The trainer has also made clear that ground conditions matter: Shayem performs better when there is juice in the ground, a preference that should shape where and when he runs next. Burke's admission that Shayem was out of his depth on dirt in Saudi Arabia is worth noting — not every top horse travels well or adapts to different surfaces, and knowing where a horse belongs is half the battle in racing.

At a 62 per cent win rate across eight races, Shayem is performing at an elite level for his age. The fact that he has placed in nearly every race he has not won (six places from eight starts) suggests he rarely runs poorly. With momentum clearly on his side and a trainer who knows how to get the best from him, Shayem looks set for an interesting second half of his three-year-old season.