Mistral Blue

The horse was first past the post at Doncaster on a December day in 2023, and her most recent victory came at Uttoxeter in mid-June, about two months ago. That gap between wins hints at a horse who runs regularly but doesn't dominate. Her connection with jockey Connor Brace tells a similar story: they have raced together eight times, and he has ridden her to one win, a 12% return that sits slightly below her overall rate. What stands out, though, is that Mistral Blue is actively racing—she was out just yesterday—which at eight years old suggests she still has the fitness and willingness to keep competing.

Trainer Fergal O'Brien, based in Gloucestershire, has sent out 90 winners from his yard this season, a respectable haul that shows he knows how to produce winning racehorses. Yet Mistral Blue has never won in Class 4 company, the level at which she has contested seven races. She has won her three victories at lower grades, where the opposition is weaker, which is a common and honest pattern for horses of her ability. She is the sort of horse who earns her keep by finishing in the money more often than not, even if the big race win remains elusive.