Shifra

The recent form tells a mixed story. A second-place finish is the headline result, showing there is some ability in there, but that has been surrounded by results deep in the field — a sixteenth, a ninth, and a twelfth among them. The dash in the sequence indicates a race where she either fell, was pulled up, or was otherwise removed from the result, which only adds to the sense of a horse whose career has been anything but straightforward so far.

Shifra is trained by Pat Phelan at Epsom in Surrey — a famous training base set on and around the same Downs that host the Epsom Derby each June. Phelan's yard has sent out 8 winners this season, which shows the operation is capable of getting horses to the track in winning form. The challenge now is finding the right race to get Shifra herself into the winner's enclosure for the first time. She has run in Class 4 races three times without success, which is already a fairly competitive level — not the very top of the sport, but far from a soft touch either. Finding a slightly easier opportunity could be the key to unlocking that first career victory.

She raced just yesterday, so the yard will be watching the recovery closely before mapping out the next step. For a horse of four who has yet to win, every race is both a chance to turn things around and a reminder that racing can be a patient game.