Madame De Sevigne

Both of her wins have come at distances between seven furlongs and a mile, and it is worth noting she has won 2 of her 14 races at those trips — a 14% win rate, which works out to roughly 1 in every 7 races at her favoured distances. That is meaningfully better than her overall record and suggests the team knows exactly where to place her. Her first win came at Leicester in July 2024, and her second at Newmarket just a few months later in October — her home track, where trainer John Butler is based, and where horses often know the ground under their feet particularly well.

Butler's yard has sent out 27 winners this season, which makes it an active and capable operation. When Oisin Murphy has ridden her — five times in total — she has won once, a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5 of those rides together. That is a noticeably better return than her career average and suggests Murphy tends to bring out something a little extra. She most often races at Class 4 level, one step below the top tier of everyday racing, and has won 1 from 11 at that grade — roughly 1 in every 11 attempts.

The last win came 19 months ago, which is a long time between victories even for a consistent placer. She raced just yesterday, so she is clearly in good health and being kept busy. At her best, over seven furlongs to a mile, with Murphy in the saddle, she is a horse who can pick up a race when conditions fall right — she just has not managed to find that moment again yet.