Solanna

Trainer John Butler has made Solanna's career from his Newmarket yard, and the horse showed real promise early on. After winning three races in quick succession in 2022, Solanna's rating climbed from 47 to 68—a sign the yard had spotted something with potential. But stepping up in class to compete at Class 5 level has been brutal: just one win from 23 attempts at that standard. These are races for better horses, and Solanna has shown he does not quite belong there. His form has dipped recently too. In his last six races he has finished third, fifth, sixth, first, second, and third again—one win among inconsistency.

There is one condition in which Solanna reliably performs better: soft or muddy ground. He has won 5 of 15 races on such surfaces, a win rate of one in three, compared to his overall average. That is the kind of specific advantage that matters in racing, especially for an older horse. At seven years old, Solanna is no longer young, but he is not over the hill either. He last won three months ago at Ffos Las on 23 June 2026, which means he remains competitive when conditions and circumstances align. Butler has suggested recent form does not tell the whole story—the horse has been working well at home, and the trainer expects a marked improvement next time out. For a horse like Solanna, that next opportunity, ideally on soft ground and with Muscutt in the saddle, could be exactly what he needs.