Wearing tongue strapQuick turnaroundJockey in form (4 wins in 14 days)Trainer in formWon 0 of last 5
TrackLab Insight
The market favourite at 3.0, and the form backs it up — two consecutive second-place finishes, including one here at Catterick just 12 days ago. Jockey Clifford Lee has been in red-hot form, winning four from 16 rides in the last two weeks, though this is the first time he has ridden this horse. Ten races without a win is a concern, but she keeps finishing close and today the target is to finally convert.
Runs again after just 7 daysJockey in best form (4 from 16 last 2wk)Market favourite (3.0)
The only horse in this field to have won a race, and she did it just 17 days ago at Redcar — arriving here in the best recent form of anyone. She has the best win rate in the field at roughly one in every eight races, and she draws stall one which is in the most favoured part of the track at Catterick over this distance. The one concern is that she has not won on normal ground in three attempts — today's conditions are her weakness on paper.
Carries the joint-lowest weight in the field, which gives her a physical advantage over the more experienced runners, but three races without a win or a place does not inspire confidence. Her two recent runs at Ripon saw her beaten by more than 12 lengths both times, which is a long way back in a five-furlong sprint. At 10.0 in the market, the bookmakers are not convinced she can turn it around here.
Carries lowest weight in fieldLightly raced (3 career races)
Has been off the track for nearly nine months — the longest absence in this field — and returns with zero wins or places from four career races. Despite that blank record, it carries the highest official rating in the field, which is a genuine puzzle. With no form to build on and a lengthy break behind it, this is one to treat with real caution.
Absent 278 days (longest in field)Unfancied in the market despite a high rating
The editorial verdict singles this one out as the horse to beat, and the market agrees — joint-second favourite at 5.0. She was beaten less than a length at Carlisle last time over six furlongs, and the drop back to five furlongs today is the key argument in her favour. Ten races without a win is a long wait, but she is knocking on the door.
Wearing cheekpiecesWon 0 of last 5Raced here before
TrackLab Insight
By far the most experienced horse in the field with 17 races to her name — more than double the field average — yet still searching for a first win. She finished fourth here at Catterick just 12 days ago, so she is match-fit and familiar with the track, but her record suggests she is a horse that places without winning. The cheekpieces and tongue strap are headgear designed to sharpen focus, which hints the trainer is still trying to find the key to unlocking her.
Finished third at this exact course just 12 days ago, so she knows the track and is clearly in good enough shape to run again quickly. The catch is she has never raced on normal ground before — both previous runs came on different surfaces — so today's conditions are an unknown. A lightly raced horse with only three races under her belt, there is still plenty to find out about her.
Never raced on normal groundLightly raced (3 career races)
Wearing hoodTrainer in formWon 0 of last 5Raced here before
TrackLab Insight
Carries the joint-lowest official rating in the field, sitting six pounds below the field average, which tells you the handicapper views this as one of the weaker horses in the race. She was beaten more than 12 lengths here at Catterick just 12 days ago, so the track holds no obvious secrets for her. Trainer David O'Meara has been in strong form recently — winning roughly one in four races over the last two weeks — but on current evidence Tanaka looks up against it.
Lowest rated, 6lbs below averageTrainer in best form (6 from 24 last 2wk)
How do odds work?The first number is what you win, the second is what you bet. So 5/2 means you win £5 for every £2. 4/1 means you win £4 for every £1. The bigger the first number, the less likely bookmakers think the horse will win — but the more you'd win if it does.