Botagoz

Since that debut win, the three-year-old has only improved. She has now won 2 of her 3 races in total — that's a win rate of roughly 2 in every 3 outings — and has placed in the other, meaning she has never come home without a prize. Her most recent win came at Nottingham on 18 April 2026, just four weeks ago, and she raced again only yesterday, suggesting the team are keeping her busy and in good order. Her recent form reads third, first, first — going the right way.

What makes the story bigger is where Varian is pointing her next. The Prix de Diane is one of the most prestigious races in France for three-year-old horses — a genuine top-level occasion — and she is entered for it. Before that, he was considering trial races like the Nell Gwyn or Fred Darling, classic prep races designed to test whether a filly is ready for the biggest stages. The fact that a yard currently producing 87 winners this season is treating her as a serious Classic prospect, rather than a pleasant surprise to be quietly placed in easier races, tells you everything about how her stock has risen since that December afternoon at Kempton.

Varian's comment that she is "starting to work really well now" is the detail worth holding onto. Horses that win before they're fully fit or fully wound up tend to improve considerably as the season develops. If Botagoz was already good enough to win twice while still finding her feet, the version of her that arrives at a major race later this summer could be considerably better still.