Torfrida

That sole win came at Doncaster back in May 2023, now 38 months ago, and she hasn't been able to repeat it since. Her last six races have produced finishes of 9th, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 4th — close enough on occasion to suggest she hasn't lost her ability, but not quite close enough to suggest a win is imminent. The second place in that sequence is the most encouraging detail here: she can still threaten, even if converting that into a winner's photograph has proved elusive.

She races most often at sprint distances — between five and six-and-a-half furlongs — and that's where her best form lives, winning 1 from 8 races at those trips. Her regular partner is jockey Shane Kelly, who has ridden her seven times for that single win together, a win rate of around 1 in 7. That's a modest return, but it speaks more to the difficulty of her task than any lack of effort from either party. She typically lines up in Class 5 company, which is the bread-and-butter level of the sport, and she's won 1 of her 9 races at that level — competitive, but not dominant.

She's trained by Pam Sly, a small yard based in Thorney, Cambridgeshire, that has sent out seven winners this season — a decent return for an operation of its size. Torfrida raced just yesterday, so she's clearly fit and active. Whether the win column gets updated any time soon is the question, but for a horse at this level, turning up consistently and finishing in the places is a reasonable contribution to a small yard's season.