Be An Angel

The horse runs for trainer Rod Millman's yard at Kentisbeare in Devon, where the stable has sent out 42 winners this season. Millman sees Be An Angel as something of a victim of the racing system itself. The Great British Bonus scheme offers a £20,000 incentive for wins in two-year-old fillies' races, an attractive target that pushes trainers to get their young fillies ready for those specific races. The upshot is that horses like Be An Angel end up with a string of decent top-3 finishes at a higher level—10 of them across her career—but fewer opportunities to drop down and win where conditions are truly in their favour. It is a nice problem to have, but it means her win rate understates what she can do when everything lines up.

Most of her racing has been in Class 5 company, where she has won once in 13 starts. Her regular rider, Lewis Edmunds, has yet to taste a winner aboard her from seven outings together. With dry ground hard to come by in Britain, Be An Angel may have to be patient for her next opportunity—or the yard may need to think creatively about where she runs next.