Yashin

What makes Yashin interesting is how specific his requirements are. He needs fast, dry ground — Harrington has been clear that she simply will not run him in soft or muddy conditions — and he comes alive at a distance of around a mile and three to four furlongs, winning 1 from 3 at that trip. On normal ground, he is a different animal: 3 wins from just 6 races, which is 50%, an extraordinary conversion rate. Find him the right conditions and he delivers. He also has a particular affinity for Leopardstown, where he has won twice from 6 visits, and his trainer believes he prefers racing left-handed.

His partnership with Shane Foley is worth noting too. Together they have won 3 of their 11 races — 27%, or better than 1 in 4 — which is meaningfully above Yashin's overall average and suggests the combination works. Harrington's yard has been in fine form this season, sending out 51 winners, so the operation around him is clearly functioning well.

After his Ascot win, Harrington admitted that Shane Foley felt Yashin had no right to find what he found late in the race — yet he did, winning by a short head while hanging wide and pulling keen throughout. That kind of toughness under pressure is hard to manufacture. His recent form reads 1-6-7-22-6 going back from that win, with a six-month absence since, so there are questions about what he returns as. But with the Ebor reportedly in mind as a target and a trainer who knows exactly what he needs, Yashin is a horse worth keeping an eye on when the ground dries out.