What makes that Goodwood win worth noting is the setting. Goodwood is one of the most distinctive tracks in Britain — a switchback circuit carved into the Sussex Downs — and it has a way of sorting out horses that can handle its quirks from those that cannot. Celestarak clearly handles it. Whether that affinity runs deeper will be worth watching if the yard — sorry, if the team — send her back there, as trainers often do when a horse has shown a liking for a particular course.
She is trained by David Menuisier, whose yard in Pulborough, West Sussex, is currently in fine form — 20 winners already this season, which tells you this is a team that knows what it is doing. Menuisier has a reputation for placing his horses thoughtfully, and the fact that Celestarak finally got her head in front suggests the patience has paid off. Her recent run of form — finishing 5th, 8th, 12th, 9th, and then winning — shows a horse that was inconsistent before suddenly clicking into gear. That turnaround from a 12th-place finish to a winner's enclosure in the space of a few runs is exactly the kind of progress that makes three-year-olds so exciting to follow: they are still figuring things out, and when it all comes together, it happens fast.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwood Undulating |
1 | 1 win | 19 Jun | 100% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 4 Sep | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Aug | 0% |
| Salisbury Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 23 May | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 15 Oct | 0% |