Solar Cooper

Mark Walford's yard has been in strong form this season, sending out 35 winners, which tells you this is an operation that knows how to get horses ready to run their best. Having that kind of backing matters for a young horse still learning the game, and Solar Cooper is exactly the type of three-year-old who can improve as the season goes on.

The recent form makes for slightly mixed reading — her last six results read 8-10-1-6-9-6 from oldest to newest, meaning she has been well beaten on either side of that Ripon win. That is not unusual for a horse at this level still finding consistency, but it does mean the win eight weeks ago looks like a peak she has not yet been able to repeat. She raced just yesterday, so she is clearly being kept busy, and the yard will be hoping that Ripon form is a foundation to build on rather than a one-off.

At three years old, there is every reason to think the best is still ahead of her. Young horses often take time to mature, and a horse that has managed two placed finishes alongside that win shows she is competitive even on her off days. Whether she can string together the kind of consistent form that turns a 10% win rate into something more impressive remains to be seen — but Walford's busy, productive season suggests she is in exactly the right hands to find out.