Auntie Jo

What makes the Newcastle win interesting is the context. Auntie Jo has spent most of her career competing at Class 6, the lowest rung of British racing, and had gone 12 races at that level without winning. That is the kind of record that tests everyone's patience — the trainer, the team, and anyone who had been following her. So when she finally broke through, three weeks ago, it was genuinely earned. Her recent form tells a similar story: five consecutive fifth-place finishes before that win, meaning she was rarely disgracing herself, just not quite getting there.

She is trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in North Yorkshire, and she is in good hands. O'Meara's yard has sent out 100 winners already this season, which speaks to an operation that knows how to place horses and get the best from them. Her most regular partner in the saddle is Mark Winn, who has ridden her in 8 of her 19 races and was aboard for the win — together they have a win rate of 1 in every 8 rides, which is actually a reasonable return given how long it took her to find the winner's enclosure. With the win now under her belt and the team clearly persevering with her, it will be interesting to see whether Newcastle was a turning point or simply a high point.