Lacrima

The first four outings produced little of note, with finishes of eighth, eighth, fourth and fifth. Then something shifted. A runner-up finish showed the penny was dropping, and on 1st July 2026 at Worcester, Lacrima got the job done, crossing the line in front for the first time. What makes that especially worth noting is the timing — this was just yesterday, meaning Lacrima heads into the coming days as a horse in the form of its life, confidence presumably sky-high and trainer Nick Scholfield with plenty of reason to be optimistic about what comes next.

Scholfield operates out of Lambourn in Berkshire, one of the most famous training villages in British racing, and his yard has been in excellent shape this season — 22 winners already through the doors, which is the kind of productivity that tells you horses are arriving at the track fit, happy and ready to run. A trainer sending out that volume of winners isn't getting lucky; they're doing something right day to day. For Lacrima to have broken through at exactly this point, under a trainer in this kind of form, is an encouraging combination.

Six races is still a small sample, and there is plenty to learn about what Lacrima does and doesn't like. But the improvement across the last three runs — from two anonymous efforts at the back of the field to a second place and then a win — suggests a horse that has genuinely found its stride rather than stumbled into a fortunate result. The next few races will be telling.