Evies Vladimir

The key to Evies Vladimir is the ground underfoot. On very wet, muddy going, this horse transforms: 2 wins from just 5 races, a 40% win rate that means it has won nearly 1 in every 2 races run in those conditions. That is a dramatic contrast to its overall record, and it tells you almost everything you need to know about when to watch this horse closely. When the rain arrives and the ground gets soft and heavy, Evies Vladimir becomes a genuinely different proposition.

The partnership with jockey Keith Donoghue has been the most productive of its career — 2 wins from 6 races together, winning 1 in every 3 rides. That is a strong ratio, and it suggests the two have built a real understanding. Donoghue seems to get the best out of this horse in a way that others have not always managed.

The downside is timing. Evies Vladimir has not won in its last 6 races, and its most recent victory came at Fairyhouse back in February 2024 — 27 months ago now. The recent form figures of 6-9-9-9-2 tell a story of a horse that is competing without quite threatening at the top end, though the second place in its most recent completed race is at least a flicker of something. Trainer Gavin Cromwell, based in Navan and one of the more prolific yards in Ireland this season with 97 winners sent out, clearly still believes there is a race to be won with this horse — it raced just yesterday.

The first win came at Clonmel in November 2023, the second at Fairyhouse three months later. Both arrived in the wet. That pattern is not a coincidence. If the skies open and Evies Vladimir lines up on genuinely heavy ground with Keith Donoghue in the saddle, it is the kind of horse worth a second look — even if the recent results suggest patience is very much required.