Melissa Honey

The horse's wins tell a clearer story than her overall record suggests. Both victories came on fast, dry ground — she has won 2 of 6 races on such surfaces, a 33% win rate that stands in sharp contrast to her form elsewhere. Crucially, both wins came over shorter distances: a win at Doncaster on 06 June and another at Leicester on 04 July, both races where Melissa Honey was operating in her sweet spot of 5 furlongs to 6½ furlongs. Over these distances, she has won 2 of 10 races, a 20% conversion rate. The Leicester win four weeks ago showed she can still deliver on the track.

Where Melissa Honey struggles is in the races that matter most. When stepping into Class 5 company — the level where she has been asked to compete most often — she has yet to find the winner's enclosure, recording 0 wins from 7 attempts. This suggests her victories have come at lower levels, against weaker fields. Michael Herrington's Willoughton yard has had a productive season with 33 winners overall, and his team will be hoping Melissa Honey can find another window of opportunity on fast ground and at a distance where she has shown she belongs.