Speciosa's final foal Wintercrack lands Sly touch at Leicester

In the build-up to Speciosa's glorious victory in the 1000 Guineas, Pam Sly was at pains to downplay her talents as a trainer, insisting to the media that she was merely "a mad farmer from the Fens".

But those of us who have been lucky enough to enjoy watching the ups and downs of her team for the two decades since that incredible Classic success in 2006 and the many years before it have known for some time that Sly is surely one of the best dual-purpose trainers with a team of less than 20 anywhere in the country.

Speciosa was bought at the breeze-ups for 30,000 guineas as a two-year-old. After winning the Guineas, connections (she was jointly owned by Sly, her son and a London GP) were offered telephone numbers to sell her on.

After a non-staying but nonetheless creditable fourth in the Oaks, Speciosa's racing career stalled, but connections were adamant that they would "live the dream" and retain her as a broodmare.

The big-money boys were forced to go elsewhere. Instead, one bought Speciosa's dam Specifically (already a 12-year-old by that stage) for 1.85million guineas. She bred a subsequent rather slow Listed winner and a decent handicap hurdler, but little else.

Back to the dream of Sly and the family then - that dream probably wasn't to land a touch in a Leicester maiden while all eyes were on the big jumps action at Sandown and Punchestown, but there was something typically wonderful about watching Wintercrack and Kieran O'Neill outpoint Baaeed's warmly-touted half-brother Naqeeb in the mud.

The first nibble came at about 7.20am when the successful filly was cut from 125-1 to 80-1. Two hours later, there was nothing bigger than 66-1 with any firms. Pockets of 50s and 40s were still around until half an hour before the race, but further support in the final minutes saw her returned at 20-1.

Sent on straight from the stalls, Wintercrack was five lengths clear rounding the home turn. In her slipstream, Naqeeb travelled with power three furlongs out but there were very faint shades of Champions Day as his effort petered out in the testing conditions close home, the attritional nature of the contest allowing winning chaser Fazayte to stay on instead into second place.

If Sly is a champion in her league, then Haggas must be seen as exactly the same. He is a brilliant trainer who will get the best out of Naqeeb. At least now that colt doesn't have to shoulder the burden of carrying a much-discussed unbeaten record as he climbs through the ranks.

But this was all about Wintercrack, the final foal of Speciosa, now retired from broodmare duties at the age of 20, and a son of Cracksman - who himself was also in his element when the mud was flying.

"We knew she was all right at home because she'd been working with a Listed winner," Sly told Jess Stafford on Racing TV afterwards.

"She can go - she'll probably go to a mile and a half. I think she probably enjoyed the ground. The whole family like give. I think she's all right and Kieran gave her an ace ride.

"She's just so polite so I said 'You'll just have to tell her what to do'."

Sly revealed that Wintercrack has inherited some of the personality of her dam, as well as the quality. Both were treated with magnesium earlier in their careers to help calm them down.

"All the girls [that she has bred] are good," she said. "The boys aren't quite so good. But three of the girls are already breeding and they're all breeding winners, which is wonderful."

And so Speciosa's legacy will live on in racing, as will Sly's. When Confidential Lady finished second to Speciosa in the 1000 Guineas, her trainer Sir Mark Prescott said he would "raise a glass to Mrs Sly and her monster from the Fens".

The toast continues.