Lady Buttercup

What that Warwick win does hint at, though, is where she is most dangerous. Lady Buttercup does her best work over longer trips — two miles and beyond — where she has won 1 of her 6 races at that distance, a win rate of around 1 in 6 (17%). That is noticeably better than her overall record, and it suggests stamina is her real weapon. Keep her over a flat, quick mile and she will struggle; ask her to grind it out over a proper test and she becomes a different proposition.

She is trained by Donald McCain at his yard in Cholmondeley, Cheshire — a serious operation that has sent out 55 winners already this season, so Lady Buttercup is not short of professional support. Her regular partner in the saddle is Charlie Maggs, who has ridden her five times and won once together — a 1-in-5 record (20%) that is actually well above her career average. That combination clearly suits her, and if the yard are looking for the right ingredients to end the winning drought, keeping that partnership intact over a long-distance trip seems the logical place to start.

She raced just yesterday, so clearly still fit and active, and at Class 5 — the entry-level tier of British racing — she has won 1 from 8 races at that level (12%). That is modest, but it means the opportunities are there. Lady Buttercup is not a horse destined for the big occasions, but for anyone following a local yard or keeping tabs on a horse that keeps turning up and trying, she is exactly the kind of character that gives racing its texture.