Nancy J

The pair have partnered in seven races together, winning once — a rate of 14 per cent, which suggests they work well as a unit. Nancy J performs best at distances between seven furlongs and a mile, where she has won one of eight races, and Murtagh has suggested her recent run in a competitive race at Gowran left her undone by circumstance rather than ability. He believes she is beginning to show the form she displayed at last season's Irish Champions Festival and has entered her in the Sandringham, a significant race, in hopes of a turnaround. Her jockey, speaking after that August victory, noted she was still green and learning but had the class to improve substantially. With nearly two years between wins, however, the onus is on her to prove those words were not merely the optimism of the moment. She remains a horse with potential but precious little evidence to back it up.