Jafimgoso

Across 10 races, he has won twice and placed three more times — a win rate of 20%, or roughly 1 in every 5 races. That's a respectable return, though the story is a bit more complicated when you dig into the details. He has never won at Class 4, the level he most often competes at, going 0 from 6 at that grade. Both of his wins have come on normal ground, where his record reads 2 from 5 — a genuinely impressive 40%. In wet or firm conditions, he simply hasn't found the same spark. Ground conditions matter more than casual observers tend to realise, and for Jafimgoso, getting that normal surface clearly makes a real difference.

His most recent victory came at Ludlow just this week — a timely reminder that he's very much a live competitor right now. Dan Skelton had spoken candidly late last year about a difficult patch: things hadn't gone to plan, and a messy incident at Ludlow where the horse was knocked over in a pile-up knocked his rhythm further. That Jafimgoso has bounced back to win at the same course where that setback happened is a satisfying full circle. His recent form before the win showed some struggles — finishing seventh, ninth, and seventh in consecutive races — so this latest victory will have been a welcome result for the team.

Harry Skelton, who rides him most often, has one win from their six outings together. That's a 17% win rate — close to 1 in 6 — which sounds modest but broadly reflects the horse's overall level. With Jafimgoso having raced just a day ago and clearly in good heart, the yard will be looking to build on this week's win while conditions remain in his favour.