Fianna

The shape of her recent campaign tells an encouraging story. She was beaten last time out, finishing seventh, but before that she had picked up a third and a fifth, suggesting she was already moving in the right direction. When you strip away the form dips, you can see a horse beginning to understand what it takes to win. Her first career victory came at Roscommon on 18 August, and the fact that she has now added a second win just six weeks later shows she is not a one-off success but genuinely improving with racing.

Trainer Aidan Anthony Howard, based at the Curragh in County Kildare, has had a modest season by some standards—the yard has sent out just two winners so far—but Fianna represents real momentum. She is still actively racing and clearly thriving in her recent outings, which at five years old suggests she has important years ahead. For a horse who came late to winning, she is building something worth watching.