Queen All Star

She has improved sharply with age, which is exactly what you want to see in a 4-year-old. Jack Channon, who trains her out of his West Ilsley yard in Berkshire, has said openly that her development from her second to third year surprised even him — her work in training that winter was better than anyone expected. That kind of behind-the-scenes improvement tends to show up on the track, and it did. She won first time out at Wolverhampton early in the season, then came back to win at Sandown in a Class 2 race — one of the better races in Britain outside the top tier — on 25 April. That Sandown victory is the one that really sets a marker. Beating decent competition in a race of that level suggests she belongs in good company.

Her recent form reads 5-1-11-1-1-3 going back through her last six outings, most recent first. Strip that back and you have three wins in her last six races, bookended by a couple of less impressive efforts. The trainer was candid about one of those — the third-place finish came when she was asked to give weight to some strong rivals, which is a tough ask for any horse, let alone a young one still finding her feet.

She has now been off the track for around 8 months, returning from a break that followed her last win at Goodwood in August 2025. That is a long time away, and it is the one genuine question mark hanging over her. Channon's yard has sent out 46 winners this season, so the operation is clearly in good form, and the team were selective enough earlier in the year to sidestep a race at Bath when the ground dried out too quickly for their liking. That sort of patience with a horse suggests they think there is something worth protecting. The question now is whether Queen All Star returns looking as sharp as she left.