Epidavros

Both of her wins came in the autumn of 2024 — first at Carlisle in September, then at Hamilton Park just eleven days later — and she hasn't won since. That's now 21 months without a victory, and her last six races have all produced finishes of fourth or fifth. On paper that looks like a horse going through the motions, but trainer Katie Scott, whose yard in the Scottish Borders has sent out 17 winners already this season, sees it differently. Epidavros was second in a fillies' race at Musselburgh and second in a Sunday Series race at Hamilton during that winless run — placed efforts that have earned her keep, even if the win hasn't come.

The key detail Scott flags is the ground. Epidavros genuinely likes the conditions soft and wet underfoot, and Scott is openly optimistic that come September and October, when the Scottish weather starts to bite, this horse could start winning races again. It's a useful thing to know. Many horses are perfectly capable but simply need the right conditions — and if the rain arrives on cue, Epidavros could move from perennial placer to something more interesting.

When jockey P J McDonald is in the saddle, the numbers are striking: two wins from eight races together, meaning he's ridden her to victory 25% of the time — roughly 1 in every 4 rides. For a horse whose overall win rate is closer to 1 in every 14 races, that partnership clearly matters. She also shows her best form at seven furlongs to a mile, winning 1 of her 3 races at that trip — 1 in 3, which for a horse at her level is a genuinely strong return.

She's raced last just a day ago, so she's firmly in training and active. The wins might be a year and a half in the past, but with the right ground coming and the right jockey booked, Epidavros is the kind of horse worth keeping an eye on once autumn arrives.