Zuffolo

Trained by Michael Dods at Piercebridge in County Durham, Zuffolo is part of a yard that has been in excellent form this season — 43 winners and counting, which is the kind of output that tells you the horses are happy and the team knows what it is doing. Most of Zuffolo's racing has come at Class 5 level, which is the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, and it has won 3 from 23 races there — roughly 1 in 8, a perfectly respectable return at that grade.

One detail worth noting is Zuffolo's preference for fast, dry ground. With 2 wins from 8 races on those conditions — a 25% win rate, or 1 in every 4 — it clearly moves up a gear when the sun has been out. That makes it a horse to watch on firm summer days rather than wet autumn afternoons.

Connor Beasley has been in the saddle more than anyone else, partnering Zuffolo in 12 of its 41 races without managing to reach the winner's enclosure together. That is a curious blank record given Zuffolo has clearly been capable of winning, and it raises the kind of quiet questions that racing people enjoy debating over a coffee. The partnership has not clicked — at least not yet.

The recent form makes for less cheerful reading. Zuffolo has not won in its last 6 races, finishing no better than second in the most recent spell, and the latest run — just yesterday — saw it finish eighth. Its last win came at Newcastle in September 2025, eight months ago now. Horses go through quiet patches, and Zuffolo's career record shows it does find a way to win eventually. Whether the next one arrives soon on a firm summer track is the question worth asking.