Saint Segal

The horse has come alive in slightly soft, muddy ground — conditions where he wins 2 in every 5 races, compared to a much lower win rate elsewhere. His most recent win came at Kelso on 7 December, but since then a fall at Ascot in November stopped his momentum mid-race when he was heading for victory. Williams has given him plenty of time to recover from that setback, and he is back in the yard at full fitness. The plan now is a two-mile chase at Lingfield's Winter Million fixture on 21 January, a race that should suit him given soft or heavy ground is expected. His most frequent jockey, David Noonan, has ridden him to 3 wins from 15 races together — a 20 per cent win rate that suggests they work well as a partnership, though the horse has also shown he can run well for others.

What makes Saint Segal interesting is not flashy brilliance but consistent, workmanlike improvement. He is a horse that rarely misses the placings — his last six races show three top-3 finishes and just one complete blank — and Williams has spoken of him as one of her most consistent performers despite his occasional mistakes. At eight years old, he is still active and still winning at respectable levels. The Lingfield race should tell us whether he can build on his recent success or whether the Ascot fall proved more costly than first thought.