Wootton's Gal

Her recent form reads 1-5-9-4-2-5, which on the surface looks patchy. But look closer: she was beaten into second place just five days ago, then won three days later. That suggests she's improving sharply. She's won once and placed twice from her six races — a 17% win rate — but the real story is where she wins. Over the longer distances, from a mile and six furlongs up to two miles, she's genuinely competitive: one win from three attempts at that trip is 33%, nearly twice her overall average. She seems to be a horse that wants to stretch out and run.

Richard and Peter Fahey's yard at Musley Bank has sent out 23 winners already this season, so she's in an operation that knows how to train horses to the track. Hamilton Park, where she won, suits her — she's now twice raced there and delivered when it mattered most. At just three years old and still actively racing, Wootton's Gal is a work in progress. That maiden win this week suggests the real version of this horse may still be ahead of us.