She's Crafty

Her recent form gives a little cause for optimism, though. Looking at her last six runs from most recent backwards — 2, 5, 4, 7, 7, 5 — there is a clear improvement taking shape. The two placings at the front of that sequence suggest she is finding her feet, and a second-place finish is not nothing; it means she was only beaten by one horse on the day. The wobble in the middle of that sequence, with a pair of seventh-place finishes, is less encouraging, but racehorses are not machines and form can bounce around.

She races at Class 6 level, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — the place where horses are learning their trade or finding their most comfortable level. From four races at that grade she has yet to win, which is something the team at George Margarson's Newmarket yard will want to resolve. Margarson has sent out 11 winners already this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get a horse to the front — the task is finding the right race for She's Crafty to do the same. She raced just one day ago, so she is fit and active, and presumably another chance is not far away.

At this stage of a young horse's development, patience matters as much as talent. Some three-year-olds take time to fully understand what is being asked of them, and the step up in form over her last couple of races is a small but real signal that things might be clicking into place. Whether she can convert that improvement into a first win remains to be seen — but she is clearly in a yard capable of making it happen.