Celandine

Those two Class 1 wins tell you a great deal about the level she reached. Racing at the top tier of British racing, she won 2 of her 8 races at that level — roughly 1 in every 4 — which is a genuinely impressive record when you consider that Class 1 fields are full of the best horses in the country. Her partnership with jockey Tom Marquand has been particularly effective: in the seven times they have raced together, they have won three times, meaning they click roughly once every two and a half races. That is a strong number by any measure.

Walker's comments after York capture the mood of that moment well. He described Celandine as "very tough" and was openly buzzing, talking about the Cheveley Park Stakes and potentially the Breeders' Cup. He noted she had a habit of responding well to a short break in the paddock — he had used the same trick before York, and it worked. After Newmarket in June, he said Tom Marquand felt she had more to give and that she was full of pace and energy.

What makes the current picture more complicated is that she has not won in her last six races — a run stretching back almost two years to that York victory in August 2024. Her recent form reads 12-8-5-7-9-2, which shows she has been finding some of her old level in her most recent runs after a difficult spell in the middle. She raced just yesterday, so she is clearly still in active training and the yard — which has sent out 76 winners already this season — has not given up on her. The question is whether the horse who won at the top level in consecutive months can rediscover that form. The talent was obvious. The comeback is the story now.