Moonshine

The numbers tell a striking story. Moonshine wins roughly 1 in every 3 races she enters — 33%, or 2 from 6 — but zoom in to her preferred distance of five to six-and-a-half furlongs and she wins half the time: 2 from 4. That is a serious conversion rate, and it suggests that when conditions suit her, she is very difficult to beat. Her recent form reads 1-3-1 from her last three races, meaning she has been either winning or hitting the podium each time out.

Walker himself gave a revealing hint earlier this spring. Speaking about her Kempton run in April, he admitted she gave the team a brief scare before pulling through, and suggested she might actually be better over seven furlongs than her current trips — which is interesting, because she has been winning at shorter distances already. If he is right about that step up in trip, there could genuinely be more to come from her. He flagged a race at Yarmouth for fillies as a next target, and described her as a horse he hopes will be progressive throughout the season — a flag-bearer for the stallion Starman.

Walker's yard has been in strong form all season, sending out 76 winners, so Moonshine is operating in a confident, well-resourced stable. She raced just yesterday, which underlines that she is fit, in form, and being kept busy. Whether she takes that step up to seven furlongs next or returns to the Kempton surface she clearly loves, she looks like a horse with unfinished business this summer.