Yankee Dude

The recent form reads 5-14-2-13-1-1 (most recent first), which means Yankee Dude finished fifth in the most recent race just a day ago, then ran fifth again two races back, but showed two wins and a second-place finish before that. So the horse can still find its way into the winner's circle — it has won two of its last six races — but the rhythm is erratic. A second-place finish is not nothing, and two wins in half a dozen tries shows the ability is still there, somewhere. But a horse that wins once every three tries cannot afford gaps of 23 months between victories without people starting to wonder if the engine is slowing down.

Warren Greatrex trains Yankee Dude from Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, a stable that has sent out 50 winners already this season, so the yard knows how to get horses to the line. What Yankee Dude needs now is consistency. The raw numbers suggest it has the talent to win races regularly, but the last two years have been quieter than anyone would have hoped. The horse is currently active — yesterday's race proves that — which means the yard still believe there is more to come.