Ay Up Duck

That breakthrough came at Southwell on 23 April 2026, and the choice of venue is worth noting. Southwell is a tight, all-weather circuit in Nottinghamshire with a very particular rhythm to it — some horses simply never get the hang of it, while others find it suits them perfectly. Ay Up Duck fell firmly into the second camp. Whether that win sparks a run of form at the track remains to be seen, but it is exactly the kind of course affinity that trainers look to build on.

Behind the horse sits a yard that clearly knows what it is doing. Michael Appleby trains out of Oakham in Rutland and has sent out 79 winners already this season — that is a serious operation with the firepower to place horses in the right races at the right time. Appleby has a reputation for getting the best out of horses on the all-weather circuits, which makes Ay Up Duck's Southwell victory feel like anything but a fluke. With the horse having raced just one day ago and still very much in active training, there is every reason to think the team will be looking to build quickly on that winning feeling.