J J Moon

His career win rate sits at around 1 in every 5 races (21%), which is solid rather than spectacular, but the direction of travel matters here. His last six runs read: a win, a third, two blanks, a second, and a fourth — and that most recent outing was a victory at Newton Abbot in late October 2025. His trainer Emma Lavelle, whose yard at Ogbourne Maizey in Wiltshire has been in exceptional form this season — 45 winners and counting — was clearly delighted with it. She described it as a good race to win and, crucially, believes there is plenty more to come. That kind of optimism from a trainer who has been watching a horse closely every day is worth paying attention to.

J J Moon took time to get going. When he broke his duck at Southwell in May 2024, Lavelle noted he still looked a bit babyish as he hit the front — raw, inexperienced, still growing into himself. The owners had been patient, and the win was a reward for that patience. At seven, he is now properly grown up and competing regularly at Class 4 level, the bread-and-butter level of the sport, though the team has shown no rush to push him into tougher company before he is ready.

The partnership with jockey Harry Cobden is one worth watching. In six races together, Cobden has won twice — a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 rides — which is a strong return and suggests the pair have a genuine understanding. Cobden is one of the best jump jockeys in the country, and the fact that Lavelle keeps putting him up on J J Moon tells its own story.

Normal ground suits him best — he has won 2 of his 6 races in those conditions, again at that 1-in-3 clip. A horse that likes things fair, that keeps his cards close as Lavelle puts it, and that may not have shown his best yet. Worth knowing about.