Rebecca Menzies

The two crowning moments of her career so far both came within a few weeks of each other in early 2022, when she won top-level races at both Doncaster and Ayr. Landing one of the biggest races in the country is an achievement in itself; doing it twice in the same month, as a trainer barely a year into the job, was remarkable. It announced her as someone capable of competing at the very highest level, not just filling out midweek cards.

Closer to home, Sedgefield has become something of a happy hunting ground. She has sent out 6 winners from 30 runners there — that is 1 in every 5 — which is well above her overall average and the kind of record that suggests her horses genuinely suit that track. Trainers who know their horses inside out tend to place them where the conditions fit, and the Sedgefield numbers hint that Menzies has that instinct.

There is also an interesting pattern on wet, muddy ground, where she has won 1 from 7 — a 14% win rate, exactly double her season average. Seven races is a small sample, so it would be unwise to read too much into it, but it is worth watching on a wet afternoon. Her most reliable ally in the saddle is jockey Nathan Moscrop, who has partnered her horses to 8 wins from 111 rides together. That long-running combination — roughly 1 win every 14 rides — suggests a real working relationship built on mutual understanding rather than occasional convenience.

Four years in, 275 winners, and two of the biggest prizes the sport offers already on the shelf. The dip in win rate this season is the one thing to keep an eye on, but the foundations here look solid.