Talis Evolvere

The six-year-old has a particular liking for normal ground conditions, where his record reads 4 wins from 14 races — nearly 1 in every 3.5, which is a genuinely striking conversion rate at this level. His two most recent wins came on the all-weather tracks at Chelmsford in December 2024 and Newcastle in March 2024, both Class 2 races, and his last win came at Southwell in January 2026, around six months ago. The Newcastle win is worth noting specifically — trainer Richard Hannon has since revealed he had the horse pencilled in to defend that exact race this year before a scope revealed something was not quite right. That kind of planning tells you the team rate him.

Hannon's yard, based in Wiltshire, has sent out 118 winners this season alone, so this is a busy, successful operation. The fact that Hannon is pointing Talis Evolvere toward the Hunt Cup — one of the most prestigious mile races of the flat season at Royal Ascot — tells you this horse is not just making up the numbers. He has a mark the trainer believes is now low enough to be genuinely competitive in the biggest handicaps on the calendar.

Regular jockey Joe Leavy has ridden him 10 times for 1 win, which on its own looks modest, but that single win came in the Class 2 at Chelmsford, and the partnership is clearly trusted by the yard for the big occasions. Talis Evolvere has not won in his last six races, but he finished second twice in that run, most recently two days ago, which suggests the form is live even if the wins have dried up. A horse this consistent, at this level, being freshened up for a Royal Ascot target — that is a profile worth following.