Murcia

Her overall record of 1 win and 3 places from 9 races — winning roughly 1 in every 9 she's entered — might look modest on paper, but the recent form tells a more interesting story. Reading her last six races from oldest to most recent: a win, then a fourth, a third, a fourth, a fifteenth, and a fifth. That sequence suggests she hit a purple patch at exactly the right moment, peaked for Aintree, and has been finding her feet again since. A fifteenth last time out is a dip worth noting, though she was back racing just yesterday, so the team clearly haven't lost faith.

Behind Murcia is one of the most powerful yards in the sport. Willie Mullins, based in Co Carlow in Ireland, has sent out 229 winners this season alone — a number that is almost absurd when you think about it. That is not a yard sending out hopeful horses; that is a factory of well-prepared talent, and the fact that Mullins chose Aintree for Murcia's big moment suggests careful, confident placement rather than a lucky swing. When a trainer of that calibre targets a Class 1 race for a horse still searching for her first win, you can be sure they liked what they saw at home.

The Aintree victory remains the defining moment of her career so far, and the question now is whether she can rediscover that level. She's young enough at five that there's every reason to think she can.