Wondrous Light

Trained by Jonathan Portman at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, Wondrous Light comes from a yard that has sent out 46 winners already this season, so there is clearly no shortage of talent on the gallops. Portman has spoken about her as a "lovely, big, scopey type" who needs a distance of somewhere between a mile and two furlongs and a mile and a half to show her best, and crucially, she needs just a little softness underfoot. On faster, drier ground at her usual level — Class 5, the entry-level tier of British racing — she has managed only 1 win from 7 attempts. That is a modest 14%, or roughly 1 in every 7 races. The ground really does make or break her.

Now four years old, Wondrous Light seems to be hitting her stride at just the right time. She won at Nottingham three weeks ago, her second victory in her last six races, and she raced again just yesterday — a sign of a horse in consistent work and one the yard clearly has faith in. Portman had already flagged, before this season began, that he expected her to take a step forward at four. On the evidence of recent weeks, that prediction is looking well-founded.

The big question for Wondrous Light is whether she can eventually step up from Class 5 and prove herself in better company. The raw talent appears to be there, but it will likely take the right conditions — a mile-plus trip, and rain on the way — to find out for certain. When those boxes are ticked, she has been unbeatable.