Jour d'Evasion

But something clicked in the winter of 2025–26. Jour d'Evasion has won 3 of his last 6 races, including a victory at Warwick as recently as January 2026, and the momentum has been building in a way that is hard to ignore. Three wins in a row is not luck — that is a horse finding his feet at exactly the right time.

The numbers back up where he does his best work. Over longer distances — anything above two miles — he has won 4 of 9 races, which works out at winning nearly 1 in every 2. That is a remarkable ratio that shows a horse who genuinely gets better the further he goes. Sam Twiston-Davies has been in the saddle for most of his career, riding him in 11 of his 19 races and winning twice — roughly 1 in every 5 together, a partnership that knows each other well at this point.

The really interesting part is what comes next. Daly has made no secret of the ambition: Jour d'Evasion is being pointed squarely at the Cheltenham Festival, with the Grand Annual — a fast-paced two-mile chase — as the most likely target if the ground stays on the softer side, or a two-mile-four race if conditions dry out. The trainer is relaxed about the trip, suggesting the horse is versatile enough to handle either option. Daly's yard has already sent out 17 winners this season, so this is a team in form, not one grasping at straws. A horse on a three-race winning streak, with Cheltenham on the horizon — that is a story worth watching.