Yaajooz

That single victory came at Thirsk on 26 July 2024, and it remains his only success. Since then, he has raced 16 times without winning again—nearly 27 months of trying without another trip to the winner's enclosure. His recent form tells a familiar story for a horse at his level: eighth place, then sixth, third, twelfth, ninth, and eighth again. He is a horse that occasionally threatens to break through, as that third-place finish suggests, but rarely does. When he races at Class 5 level, where most of his races come, he wins roughly 1 in 12 times—a win rate that reflects a horse capable of competing but not dominating.

Michael and David Easterby's Sheriff Hutton yard, which has sent out 55 winners already this season, took him on as a new arrival earlier this year with genuine optimism. The trainers ran him twice quickly in late March, backing him up after a second place at Wolverhampton with a run as favourite at Southwell, where he finished fourth—the kind of result that can spark belief. But the wins have not come. Still, he raced just a day ago, which means his the yard are not ready to give up on him yet. For a horse with his record, that continued investment of time and effort speaks to a stubborn belief that he has another win in him somewhere.