Suitably Surprised

Both wins came in the space of four days back in November 2024, first at Sedgefield and then at Leicester, and both at Class 5 level — the level where she clearly finds her best form, winning 2 of her 9 races at that grade. Then, on what should have been a triumphant run of form, she finished second and picked up a hairline fracture. Box rest followed, and a season on the sidelines. For a horse that was clearly hitting her stride, the timing was brutal.

The good news, according to trainer Sam England, is that she came through the layoff well. She's back cantering, reportedly loving her work, and the plan is to keep her in familiar territory — the smaller northern tracks like Catterick and Sedgefield, where the atmosphere suits a straightforward horse who knows her job. England's yard at Guiseley has had a productive season with 49 winners, so there's plenty of confidence in the operation behind her.

The partnership with jockey Jonathan England — Sam's son — is an interesting footnote. Eight rides together, zero wins, which sounds alarming until you consider that most of those came either before she found her level or during her injury-interrupted campaign. She raced just yesterday, so the yard are clearly keen to make up for lost time.

The last win came 18 months ago, and six races without a victory since is a gap worth acknowledging. But for a horse who was winning races and placed on the day she got hurt, the question isn't really whether she can win — she's already shown she can. It's whether the spark from that purple patch in late 2024 is still there. If the Sam England yard is sending her out around the tracks she knows, they clearly believe it is.