Ufouria

Ralph, who trains out of Bridgnorth in Shropshire and has sent out 25 winners this season, is clearly fond of her. She's spoken about problems she's had along the way, and about how she's recently started putting it all together at home — which, for anyone who follows horses, is exactly the phrase you want to hear before a big run. A horse that works well at home but hasn't been delivering on a racecourse is a horse that might be about to turn a corner.

The numbers, taken in isolation, are modest. One win from 14 races — that's a win rate of around 7%, or roughly 1 in every 14 attempts. At the level she most often competes, she has managed zero wins from four races. But statistics like that can be misleading when the horse in question has a history of physical setbacks. They don't capture what Ralph clearly believes: that the version of Ufouria showing up at the track right now may be a better horse than the one who posted most of those results.

What gives that belief some weight is the Cork win itself. It wasn't a grind — it was easy. Horses don't win easily by accident. That performance, combined with the positive signals coming out of the yard, suggests there may be more to come. The trainer has spoken about possible targets at bigger venues, which tells you she thinks she's capable of stepping up in class if she puts in the right run.

She raced just yesterday, so she's very much in the thick of things. Her last six outings have been mixed — a third place among a couple of unfinished efforts and some mid-pack finishes — but Ufouria is the kind of horse where the story feels like it might not be finished yet. At eight, she's no youngster, but horses who finally figure it out can surprise you.