Qilin Queen

Her overall record reads two wins and five places from seven races, which means she has finished in the money in every single race she has run. A win rate of roughly 1 in every 3.5 races (29%) is strong for any horse, but especially one competing regularly at the top level — at Class 1 she has won 1 of her 5 attempts, a 20% win rate that actually compares favourably with what most horses achieve at that standard. Walker's yard has been in outstanding form this season, sending out 75 winners, and Qilin Queen looks like one of its better stories.

What makes her compelling is the trajectory. Her jockey at Salisbury, Ross Coakley, noted how professional she looked on just her second run, describing her as a tall, leggy horse who would only improve with time — and that is exactly what happened. By the spring of 2025, Walker was entering her in the Oaks and talking about her needing fast, dry ground to show her best. The Newbury win arrived after a below-par run at Newmarket, where the pace was too hot early and the track's famous dip in the straight didn't suit her. Walker told jockey Hollie Doyle to be bold, and she was. Qilin Queen kept galloping where others stopped, and that tenacity — "very game," as Walker put it — is perhaps the most interesting thing about her.

She has not raced in roughly eight months now, returning from what looks like a planned break rather than an injury. At four years old and with a Class 1 win already on her record, she arrives back with something to prove in terms of consistency but a great deal of quality already demonstrated. A horse that has placed in seven from seven races, won at the top level, and thrives on fast ground in the summer — there is every reason to think her best is still ahead of her.