James's Delight

The story of how he got here is one of steady progression. His first career win came at Newbury in July 2023, and within a year he had back-to-back victories at two of Britain's most prestigious tracks — Newmarket in May 2024 and York in June 2024, both in top-tier Class 2 races. After that York win, Cox made no secret of his excitement, saying the way the horse changed gear that day filled him with genuine belief about what was to come. Then, in May 2025, James's Delight took that next step and won the Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland — a Group 2 race, which sits among the very best races run anywhere in Europe. Cox described himself as thrilled, and noted the horse had come back from the trip looking fresh and well.

That win was eleven days ago, which is why the recent form figures look alarming at first glance — the last six results read 6-15-17-1-5-8, with that solitary "1" being the Curragh victory buried in the middle. The finishes on either side of it reflect the harsh reality of racing at Class 1 level, the absolute pinnacle of the sport, where James's Delight has run six times without winning. That is not unusual — Class 1 is where the very best horses in Europe tend to congregate, and simply being competitive at that level is an achievement in itself.

Cox has already hinted at an entry for Champions Day, one of the biggest occasions in the British racing calendar, and has flagged that the horse goes particularly well when the ground is soft or wet underfoot. The jockey who knows him best is Richard Kingscote, who has ridden him to 2 wins from their 5 races together — winning 40% of the time, or roughly 2 in every 5 rides, which is a remarkable partnership by any measure. Clive Cox's yard has sent out 47 winners this season alone, so James's Delight is operating within one of the most productive operations in Britain, with a trainer who clearly believes the best is still to come.