Francophone

What makes Francophone interesting is not just her record but how her trainer Charlie Johnston has handled her. Johnston, based at Middleham Moor in North Yorkshire, is cautious by nature. After Francophone ran poorly in a race at Pontefract, Johnston was ready to drop her down in class — a common move when a horse is out of form. Instead, she held her nerve and ran her in a Class 1 race at Newmarket on 26 September 2025, where she won. This shows real confidence in the filly's ability and a willingness to trust her talent over a bad day. That Newmarket victory came 13 months after her previous Group-level success at Goodwood, suggesting she has remained competitive despite a long gap between wins.

Francophone is ridden most often by Joe Fanning, and the pair have a strong partnership: they have won four races from thirteen together, a win rate of roughly 1 in 3. This is significantly higher than her overall record and suggests the jockey brings something out of the filly that other riders do not. Recent form — a win, two fourth-place finishes, an eleventh, and a second from her last six races — shows inconsistency, yet she raced just a day ago and remains in active training. She wants decent ground and prefers not to be stretched beyond a mile and a quarter, which means her best opportunities will come on fast, dry surfaces over her ideal distance.