Sugar Sugar

The worry is what has happened since. Her last six runs read 12-2-5-1-2-3, which is a steep decline from that opening success. Only one finish in the money during her most recent outings suggests the field is starting to work her out, or she simply hasn't yet found the conditions or the distance to suit her again. At 1 win from 7 races overall—a 14% win rate—she remains a long way from being a regular winner, but the structure of her results matters more than the raw numbers. That burst of form at the mile-and-slightly-shorter trips is worth paying attention to, because if Jack Channon can find the right race and the right ground to send her back to that distance, there could be another win waiting.

Channon's West Ilsley yard is in fine fettle this season with 46 winners already on the board, so Sugar Sugar has every chance of being put in the right spot. She is active and racing now, which means the trainer clearly thinks there is more to come from her. Whether that translates into a second win soon depends on getting the setup exactly right—which is the eternal puzzle of training young horses.