Slay Queen

Since then, however, it has gone quiet. Slay Queen has not won in her last six races, and the recent form figures — 11-11-10-5-7-21 — tell a story of a horse that has been finishing well down the field more often than not. That said, she raced just one day ago, so she is very much still in action, and her the yard will be hoping the form that made her look so promising last season is still in there somewhere.

Her record at Class 4 level — the sort of races where she is typically asked to compete — is genuinely eye-catching: two wins from just four races at that level, which is a 50% win rate. That is the kind of number that gets attention. It suggests that when she is in the right company, she can be a serious player. The challenge right now is finding the right opportunity to bring that version of her back out.

She is trained by Richard Hannon at his yard in Herridge, Wiltshire — one of the busiest and most productive operations in British racing, having sent out 118 winners already this season alone. That kind of volume means Hannon's team know what they are doing when it comes to placing horses in the right races. Her most regular jockey is Joe Leavy, who has ridden her in eight of her ten races and won one of them together — a win rate of around 1 in 8. The partnership has had its moments, and with a trainer this well-resourced behind her, Slay Queen is not a horse to write off just yet.