Chavajod

And yet there is something quietly stubborn about this horse that deserves a second look. Chavajod earned its first career win at Leopardstown back in May 2023, one of the most competitive tracks in Ireland, which tells you it has at least touched a decent level at some point. More tellingly, when you zoom in on its preferred distance — somewhere between a mile and a mile and a quarter — the record improves meaningfully. Four wins from 32 races at that trip works out to roughly 1 in every 8, or about 12%. That is the horse doing what it does best, and it is noticeably better than its overall career average.

The trainer is D P Coakley, and the partnership with jockey Ross Coakley — almost certainly a family operation — has produced 1 win from 13 races together, which mirrors the overall record closely. The yard has sent out just one winner this season so far, so this is a small operation, not a factory producing winners week in, week out. That context matters: horses from smaller yards often race more patiently, building fitness through competition rather than being saved for big moments.

What is harder to ignore is that Chavajod last won at Limerick in April 2025 — roughly a year ago now — and raced just yesterday. Twelve months without a win, and still turning up. That kind of persistence from a smaller yard suggests genuine belief in the horse, even if the recent form makes it a tough sell right now. Whether there is another win in Chavajod before the career winds down is genuinely uncertain, but it has surprised people before, and at the right distance, on the right day, that is not completely off the table.