Celandine

The numbers tell a solid story. Three wins and five places from 11 races means she has finished in the top three more than seven times out of every ten outings — a horse that turns up and competes rather than flashing briefly and fading. Her win rate sits at 27%, roughly 1 in every 4 races, which is a healthy return. But it is where she has done her winning that matters most. Eight of her 11 races have come at the top level — Class 1, the best of the best — and she has won 2 of those 8, a 25% win rate at racing's highest table. Plenty of horses never get near that level. Celandine has made a habit of showing up there.

Her partnership with jockey Tom Marquand is worth noting too. In 7 races together they have won 3 times, a win rate of 43% — almost winning every other time out. That is a rare level of understanding between horse and rider, and it clearly works.

Ed Walker has spoken warmly about her character, describing her as "very tough" after York and noting that even when she had a flat day at Goodwood, a short break in the paddock seemed to reset her entirely. That is the mark of a horse being handled with care by a yard that clearly knows her well — and Walker's operation has been in fine form generally, sending out 80 winners this season.

The one shadow over the picture is that Celandine has not won in her last 6 races, with her most recent form reading 5-7-9-2-3-5 — some near misses, but also some disappointing efforts further back in the field. That York win in August 2024 is now 21 months ago, which in a racing career is a long time. She raced just one day ago, so the story is very much still being written. Whether she can recapture the brilliance of that golden summer remains the question.