La Pinsonniere

Across 11 races, she has won once and finished in the places nine times — a win rate of just 9%, or roughly 1 in every 11 races. On paper that sounds modest, but the places column tells a different story: she has almost never run badly. Her last six runs read 4-3-9-2-3-3, which means five finishes in the top three from six attempts, with just one poor effort breaking up an otherwise consistent sequence. A horse that keeps showing up and finishing close is a horse that knows what it is doing, even if the wins haven't followed.

Her one career victory came at Huntingdon in January 2025, and she has not won since — now 18 months ago. But that gap in the winner's enclosure is less damning than it might look, given that Henderson's team have been deliberately aiming her at the highest level. She has run in Class 1 races — the very top tier in British racing — three times without winning, which is no disgrace when you consider that only the best horses in the country compete at that level. More telling are the performances behind those wins: a second place in the mares' final at Newbury, and another second in a Listed race at Cheltenham, two of the most prestigious venues in the sport.

Henderson has spoken warmly about her, suggesting she is the kind of horse the yard has always rated. He has noted she tends to show her best on faster, drier ground, which may explain why some of her form has been patchy — race when conditions don't suit and even a good horse can look ordinary. Her regular partner is Nico de Boinville, one of the leading jockeys in the jumping game, and together they have a win from eight races — roughly 1 in 8. With a move to chasing reportedly in the plan, this is a horse that could be about to find a new level entirely. Jumping fences rather than hurdles is often where horses like this truly come into their own.