The Yellow Clay

The Yellow Clay is a 7-year-old trained by Gordon Elliott at his yard in Longwood, County Meath — one of the most powerful operations in Irish racing. With 209 winners already sent out this season alone, Elliott's team is not short of ammunition, which makes it all the more telling that this horse has carved out its own identity within a very busy yard. Its most frequent partner in the saddle is Sam Ewing, and together they have built something of a partnership — three wins from five races together, a 60% win rate that suggests this is a combination worth watching.

What gives The Yellow Clay an extra dimension is where and how it wins. It has won 2 of its 3 races at Navan, which marks it out as a genuine course specialist — some horses simply take to certain tracks, whether it is the layout, the bends, or the ground, and Navan clearly suits this one. Speaking of ground, it is at its best when the conditions turn wet and muddy, winning 2 of its 3 races on soft ground. Put it on a soggy Irish winter's day at a track it knows, and you have a horse in its element.

Recent form tells a slightly mixed story. Its last win came at Naas in January 2025, now 15 months ago, and the last six runs show two unplaced efforts alongside some solid placed finishes. The most recent race was just 18 days ago, so The Yellow Clay is still very much an active and campaigned horse. A career that began with a first win at Leopardstown in March 2023 has steadily built into something worth following — and with the right conditions underfoot and a familiar track, there is every reason to think another win is not far away.