Solanna

The numbers that really stand out are at Kempton Park, where Solanna has won 5 of her 15 races there — that's 1 in every 3, comfortably better than her career average elsewhere. For context, most horses never build that kind of relationship with a single track. She first won there back in March 2022, and the course clearly suits something about how she travels and finishes. When Kempton comes up in the entries, it is worth paying attention.

Wet ground is another key to unlocking her best. On soft or muddy going, she has won 5 of 15 races — again, roughly 1 in 3. That consistency in testing conditions suggests she genuinely relishes the extra dig underfoot, rather than simply tolerating it like many horses do.

Her trainer J Butler, based in Newmarket, has had a productive season — 39 winners from the yard so far. Early in Solanna's career, Butler was candid about a misstep: after the horse won three races in quick succession, a break to let her develop physically seemed to knock the momentum clean out of her for a spell. It was an honest admission, and what followed tells you something about the horse — she came back. Jockey Daniel Muscutt knows her well, having won 5 of their 13 races together, a rate of 38% — which is exceptional. Nearly 2 in every 5 times they team up, they win.

One slight puzzle: most of her races have come at Class 5, which is the entry level of British racing, and she has won just 1 of those 23 outings at that level. Her wins tend to come when conditions or course fall exactly in her favour rather than through grade. But with wet weather around and a win already banked this week, Solanna is clearly in the form of her life at seven — and that is always the most interesting time to watch a horse race.