Jamie's Choice

Her two wins both came last summer, at Musselburgh in July 2024 and then at Redcar the following month, and both came on fast, dry ground — the kind of surface she genuinely thrives on. Trainer Tracy Waggott, who runs a small but productive yard in Spennymoor, County Durham, has been open about the fact that ground conditions matter enormously to this horse. When the track is quick and the going suits her, she becomes a different animal. When it does not, she tends to find herself further back in the field.

The most recent run is the one that sticks in the mind. Sent off at Catterick with Waggott genuinely expecting a big run, Jamie's Choice reared up as the stalls opened and threw away any chance she had before the race had even begun. It was the kind of moment that racing can be cruelly full of — nothing wrong with the horse, nothing wrong with the preparation, just bad luck at the worst possible moment. Her last six results — a third being the best of them — have not produced a win, and it is now 22 months since that Redcar victory.

Connor Beasley has ridden her in five of her races and won once, which is a win rate of 20% — or roughly 1 in every 5 rides together. That is actually a decent return by any measure, and the partnership has clearly clicked on the right occasion. Waggott's yard has sent out 10 winners this season already, so the stable is in decent form.

At six years old, Jamie's Choice is not getting any younger, but with fast ground returning as summer approaches and a trainer who clearly knows exactly what this horse needs, there is every reason to think another win is possible before the season is out.