Yermanthere

The real story here is soft ground. Yermanthere has won 2 of his last 3 races on wet or muddy terrain — a 67% win rate on that surface that stands out sharply against his overall record. This is the kind of pattern that a good trainer spots and exploits, and Tim Easterby's yard at Great Habton, which has sent out 128 winners this season alone, clearly understands how to use Yermanthere's preferences. His last victory came at Ripon on 18 June, just two months ago, which means he is not some fading veteran but a horse still capable of winning when circumstances align.

Luke McAteer has ridden him five times and won on him once — a 20% win rate that hints at a useful partnership. Yermanthere's recent form shows him mixing results: a sixth place most recently, then a second, two more places, a fifth, and a tenth before that. It is the form of a horse still trying but no longer consistently at the sharp end. He typically races at Class 4 level, where he has won just once from eleven attempts, suggesting he is best viewed as a mid-field competitor in mid-tier races. The trainer has noted that seven furlongs appears to suit him, and that waiting for the right ground and the right race — particularly over summer — is where his opportunities lie. Yermanthere is a genuine racehorse, but one whose value lies in knowing exactly when and where to run him.