Race Preview

1:07 Leicester

Monday 26 October 2026 ·6 runners KTB Selection: Dark Princess · 56/100

This Class 4 British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes over six furlongs at Leicester on heavy ground brings together six juveniles, five of them newcomers. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, headed by Dark Princess on 56, with Cala Vadella, Purist and Beautiful Force all within eight points. With the pace shape rated unclear due to insufficient run-style evidence, the race lacks a clear template and places extra emphasis on pedigree, yard strength and any market signals in a field where most participants are making their debut.

How the race shapes up

The pace shape is unclear with low confidence, as there is not enough run-style information across the six runners to form a reliable picture of how the race will unfold. Windmill is the only horse with prior racing and is noted as typically settling in midfield, but with five debutantes the early tempo remains speculative. The key question is whether any of the newcomers will show the necessary pace and adaptability on heavy ground to seize an advantage, or if the race will develop into a test of class and stamina where pedigree could prove decisive.

The KTB Fit ranking

  1. 1Dark Princess KTB Selection56/100

    Dr Richard Newland · Jack Callan

    Family: full sister to Secret Angel, a Listed winner (3 wins from 17 runs). The dam has had 6 other runners, 2 of them winners.

    Dark Princess is a full sister to Listed winner Secret Angel and comes from a dam who has already produced two winners from six foals to race. She cost a useful sum as a yearling and is now in the care of Dr Richard Newland, whose 20% strike rate at Leicester from 55 runs underlines the positive yard factor. Jack Callan takes the ride with a 25% strike rate at the track from 20 rides. By Dark Angel, she has an 11% overall win rate on progeny on varying ground, though this remains her debut and the picture on heavy going over six furlongs is still speculative. Drawn in stall one, she is the KTB Selection.

  2. 2Cala Vadella52/100

    George Scott · Sean Levey

    Family: half-sister to Dr Zempf, a Group 3 winner (3 wins from 9 runs). The dam has had 5 other runners, 3 of them winners.

    Cala Vadella is a newcomer wearing first-time headgear. She is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Dr Zempf out of a dam that has produced three winners from five other runners. The George Scott yard posts a 15% strike rate at Leicester from 61 runs, broadly in line with their record elsewhere, while Sean Levey rides with a 16% strike rate at the track from 177 rides. By Lope De Vega, whose progeny show a 13% win rate overall, she represents a pedigree with depth yet the lack of racecourse evidence keeps the assessment provisional on heavy ground.

  3. 3Purist49/100

    Ollie Sangster · Sean Dylan Bowen

    Family: half-sister to Masekela, a Listed winner (2 wins from 41 runs). The dam has had 5 other runners, 5 of them winners.

    Purist makes her debut in first-time headgear. A half-sister to Listed winner Masekela, she is out of a dam who has produced five winners from five runners to race, so the family page offers encouragement. Ollie Sangster's yard has a 13% strike rate at Leicester from 15 runs and pairs here with Sean Dylan Bowen, who has a 15% strike rate at the track from 41 rides. By Churchill, whose progeny record a 10% win rate overall, she brings a lightly-raced profile with no course win on record. Data confidence remains low given the complete absence of racecourse evidence.

  4. 4Beautiful Force48/100

    John & Sean Quinn · Finley Marsh

    Family: half-sister to Loom (1 win from 13 runs). The dam has had 2 other runners, 1 of them a winner.

    Beautiful Force is another newcomer with limited information available. She is a half-sister to Loom, who managed one win from 13 runs, and comes from a dam who has produced one other winner from three runners to race. The John and Sean Quinn yard shows a 13% strike rate at Leicester from 16 runs, while Finley Marsh takes the mount with a 12% strike rate at the track from 41 rides. By Persian Force, whose progeny have a 14% overall win rate, she has no course win on record and her debut on heavy ground must be approached with caution.

  5. 5Miss Deeds42/100

    William Haggas · Harry Davies

    Family: half-sister to Substantial (3 wins from 9 runs). The dam has had 7 other runners, 4 of them winners.

    Miss Deeds is a newcomer from William Haggas, whose 15% strike rate at Leicester from 357 runs sits below the yard's overall figure. A half-sister to Substantial out of a dam who has produced four winners from seven runners to race, she is best viewed as a watching brief on heavy ground with low data confidence and no racecourse evidence.

  6. 6Windmill42/100

    Form 08 · Ollie Sangster · Stevie Donohoe

    Windmill has been well beaten in both starts so far, carries an official rating yet to be published and is stepping up in class. From the same yard as Purist with a 13% strike rate at Leicester from 15 runs, this Ollie Sangster runner is drawn widest of all and remains unproven on heavy ground with only two runs at today's trip.

KTB verdict

Dark Princess is the KTB Selection. She is a full sister to Listed winner Secret Angel from a dam that has already produced two winners, and she joins a yard with a strong 20% strike rate at Leicester. The debut on heavy ground over six furlongs leaves some questions unanswered, yet the pedigree, yard record and jockey booking combine to make her the most solid proposition. Cala Vadella, with her Group 3 sibling and first-time headgear, and Purist, whose dam has produced five winners, are the most obvious dangers in a race where the lack of established form and unclear pace make for an open-looking novice event.

KTB Selection Dark Princess

Early prices

The best price per runner across the bookmakers we track, each as first seen (UK time). Every runner had a price by 12:22am, 26 Oct. Prices move — see the live racecard for current prices.

RunnerEarly priceBookmaker, time
Dark Princess15/2William Hill, 12:15am
Cala Vadella9/4Bet365, 12:15am
Purist9/1Virgin Bet, 12:15am
Beautiful Force11/2Bet365, 12:15am
Miss Deeds13/8Bet365, 12:15am
Windmill20/1BoyleSports, 12:15am

Questions about this race

Which horse is the full sister to a Listed winner?

Dark Princess is a full sister to Secret Angel, a Listed winner with 3 wins from 17 runs.

Who is the only horse in the field with previous racecourse experience?

Windmill has recent form figures of 08 and is stepping up in class.

Which two runners are equipped with first-time headgear?

Cala Vadella and Purist are both wearing first-time headgear.

What is the trainer strike rate at Leicester for the yard of the KTB Selection?

Dr Richard Newland has a 20% strike rate at Leicester from 55 runs.

How many winners has the dam of Purist produced from runners to race?

The dam of Purist has produced five winners from five other runners to race.

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