Lyra Lea

She cost just 1,200 guineas as a yearling — in racing terms, that is pocket change. Most horses bought that cheaply end up as also-rans at unglamorous tracks on rainy Tuesday afternoons. So when she bolted up at Lingfield Park last August, it turned a few heads. Trainer Rod Millman, who runs a busy and productive yard in Kentisbeare, Devon — 42 winners already this season — quickly spotted an opportunity. Because of her low purchase price, Lyra Lea qualifies for the Great British Bonus scheme, which rewards horses that were bought cheaply and go on to win specific races. That bonus is now the main target for the season, and it changes everything about how her campaign is being planned.

Her recent form makes for slightly mixed reading: a win and a second in the summer, followed by two poor runs, then a third and a fourth in her most recent outings. That sequence — 4-3-7-8-1-2, reading from most recent back to her win — suggests a horse who ran well, had a rough patch, and is now finding a level again. At Class 5, the most modest tier of British racing, she has actually yet to win in four attempts (zero from four). Her one win came in a different type of race, which hints that the right conditions and the right race make a real difference for her.

Millman's yard clearly believes there is another win in her, and with the bonus scheme providing genuine financial incentive, Lyra Lea is a horse with a clear purpose this season. For a horse who cost less than a decent second-hand car, that is quite a journey.