Yermanthere

The key to Yermanthere's success is knowing when he will run well. On soft or muddy ground, he is a different proposition entirely—he has won two of his three races on that surface, a win rate of 67 percent that stands out sharply against his overall 12 percent record. More tellingly, Ripon has become his happy hunting ground, with two wins from four races there, most recently on 1 September just days ago. At Class 4 level, his win rate is only 9 percent from 11 attempts, suggesting the step up to competitive races pulls the rug out from under him; but at the lower end of the card, given mud underfoot and ideally the Ripon track, he can deliver.

The trainer has spoken about Yermanthere being a seven-furlong horse, and has been careful to time his runs for summer and autumn when the ground softens and prize money is higher. That discipline in campaign planning shows: Yermanthere was raced sparingly after joining Easterby, then brought back fresh when conditions aligned. With Luke McAteer in the saddle for his most recent win, and the horse still active after racing just yesterday, expect to see him out again when the ground is right and the conditions suit. He may never be a headline horse, but he is the kind of reliable operator who picks up valuable races when the stars align.