Nymphaea

The pattern to her success is clear. Nymphaea wins on fast, dry ground — she has won two of her five races on such surfaces, a 40 per cent win rate that towers above her overall form. On the distance front, she seems happiest between a mile and three furlongs and a mile and four furlongs, though she has only one win from five attempts at that trip. Her recent form is encouraging, with two wins in her last six races, though the wins are sandwiched around some inconsistent performances that include fourth and fifth-place finishes.

Trainer Jennie Candlish, based at Basford in Staffordshire, has described Nymphaea as well handicapped and suggested she was about to "click into gear" — words that now carry extra weight given the two wins since that assessment. Candlish's yard is in good form with 64 winners this season. The trainer has outlined plans to move Nymphaea toward hurdle racing after her current stint on the flat, and has spoken of the enthusiasm of her ownership group, all pushing for a winning run. What marks Nymphaea out is not spectacular talent but consistent effort in the right circumstances: give her dry ground at Nottingham, and she becomes a different proposition.