Miss Kassiopi

The recent form tells you the penny has been dropping for a while. Reading the last six runs from oldest to most recent — a placing, then second, then third, then seventh, then second, then the win — you can see a horse that had been knocking on the door repeatedly before finally walking through it. That sequence is not the form of a slow or beaten animal; it is the form of one that had been competitive and consistent without quite getting the job done. The win at Newton Abbot was, in that sense, a long time coming and entirely deserved.

What makes the picture slightly puzzling is her record in the class of race she runs most often. Miss Kassiopi has competed at Class 5 level seven times — these are mid-to-lower tier races, not the glamour end of the sport — and won none of them, going 0 from 7. Her single win came in a different context entirely, which is worth keeping an eye on as the yard decide where to aim her next.

Her most regular partner in the saddle has been Gavin Sheehan, who has ridden her eight times without a win between them. That is not a damning verdict on either horse or jockey — sometimes combinations simply need time, or the right race — but it does mean that when the breakthrough finally came, it came without that particular partnership in place.

The yard behind her is no small operation. Dan Skelton has sent out 198 winners this season alone, making Alcester one of the most productive training bases in the country right now. A horse like Miss Kassiopi, operating quietly at the lower end of the sport, is easily overlooked in a string that size — but she has just reminded everyone she is there.