American Gal

Her two victories have come at different ends of the calendar: first at Kempton Park in late October 2024, then at Wolverhampton the following month. That second win was 18 months ago now, and her recent form — a string of seventh-place finishes sandwiched around a second and a third — might look underwhelming at first glance. But Walker is not concerned, and the reasoning is worth understanding. Her latest run at Kempton in the Snowdrop Stakes went wrong before it began: jockey Pat Cosgrave was stuck wide throughout and never got her into the race on her own terms. Walker's view is straightforward — that one does not count. They are drawing a line through it.

What does count, apparently, is what happened at Chantilly, where jockey Christophe Soumillon reported that the ground conditions — soft underfoot, not too fast — were exactly what she needed. She raced prominently and was happy on the front end, which is useful information about how she is best ridden. The team are now eyeing a return to Chantilly for the Diane, France's equivalent of the Oaks and one of the most prestigious races for fillies in Europe. Ascot's Coronation Stakes is also on the table, though Walker acknowledges that faster ground there could be a concern. The Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket is another live option at a mile and a furlong — a distance Walker believes really suits her.

The bigger picture is that Ed Walker's yard is in fine form, having sent out 80 winners already this season, so American Gal is operating within a well-resourced and confident operation. Walker raced her to within a whisker of victory in the Valiant Stakes last year and believes she has improved since. With the yard willing to travel to France and targeting top-level races, this is a horse being aimed high — and on her best days, the evidence suggests she belongs there.