Ooh Betty

That Class 1 victory at Ascot in January 2026 is the centrepiece of everything. Ascot is one of the most prestigious venues in British racing, and Class 1 is as high as it gets — these are the races that matter most, that draw the best horses, and that carry the most prize money and prestige. Winning one isn't a fluke; it's a statement. Before that, she'd already shown she belonged at a high level with a Class 2 win at Lingfield Park in January 2024. Her journey started at the more modest surroundings of Ludlow back in May 2023, and the progression since then has been genuinely impressive.

The numbers around conditions tell you something important about how to get the best out of her. On slightly soft ground she wins 3 from 7 races — that's 43% — and on properly wet, muddy ground she wins 2 from 4, a remarkable 50%. In short, when the weather turns and the course softens up, Ooh Betty becomes a different proposition entirely. A dry summer track is not her friend; a grey January day absolutely is. That Ascot win in mid-January was no coincidence.

Her partnership with jockey Ben Jones is worth noting too. Together they have won 6 of their 17 races — that's 35%, well above her overall average — suggesting they genuinely suit each other. Trainer Ben Clarke, operating from a small yard in Mosterton, Dorset, has sent out 13 winners already this season, which is a healthy output for an operation of that size and speaks to a trainer who knows how to place his horses well.

Recent form has been patchy — a couple of mid-field finishes either side of that Ascot win suggest she can be inconsistent — but she raced just 16 days ago and is clearly being kept in good shape. When the ground comes up soft and Jones is in the saddle, Ooh Betty has a habit of turning up exactly when it counts.