Blondina

The Pontefract win on 22 May 2026 is the defining moment of her career so far. It came over a longer trip — between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — and that distance range looks like her sweet spot. In three races at that sort of trip, she has won once, which works out at 1 in every 3 races, a far more impressive ratio than her overall record suggests. Horses often need time to find their distance, and Blondina may simply have found hers.

What is slightly puzzling is that her best performances have come when she steps up in distance, yet most of her career has been spent in Class 4 company — five races at that level without a win. It raises an interesting question: has she sometimes been campaigned in the wrong kind of races? The win at Pontefract suggests there is more to this horse than her overall record of 1 from 15 might imply.

She is trained by Adam Nicol, who operates out of Seahouses in Northumberland — not one of the big southern powerhouses, but a yard that has quietly sent out 26 winners already this season, which tells you there is genuine ability behind the operation. Nicol has clearly identified what Blondina needs, and with a run just yesterday she is fit, in form, and racing with confidence. This is a horse worth keeping an eye on over the summer.