Sweet Katarina made her handicap debut in Monday's (Class 5) Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Nursery over a mile at Bath, where thirteen runners lined up on ground officially described as good to soft.

Our daughter of Sergei Prokofiev broke smartly under Finley Marsh and showed plenty of her natural early speed. However, there was plenty of moisture in the ground following the rain and the conditions were tiring for the two-year-olds. Sweet Katarina was prominent through the early stages but began to lose her position as the race developed, eventually finishing twelfth.

George Boughey's Kaito came out on top under Jack Callan, finishing strongly to score by two and a quarter lengths from Magical Life, who ran a cracking race at 22/1. High Calibre was just a neck behind in third while 50/1 outsider Desert Symphony finished fourth ahead of Quest For Glory. The wet ground made for a demanding afternoon and several runners found the closing stages hard work. Favourite Give Hand finished seventh while Artemis Star, another representative of the William Muir and Chris Grassick yard, came home ninth.

WATCH: Finley Marsh discuss his ride on Sweet Katarina

 
As for Sweet Katarina, Monday's result certainly hasn't diminished our enthusiasm for this lovely girl. She's a big filly with a wonderful temperament, a lovely way of going and a character that makes her an absolute pleasure to have in the yard. She has a sizeable frame to grow into and we firmly believe we'll see the best of her as a three-year-old. She's certainly done enough as a two-year-old and we feel the right thing now is to turn her away for the winter, giving her the opportunity to grow into herself and strengthen naturally. We're tremendously fond of her and excited about what lies ahead. She's given us plenty to look forwards to and we're confident that a winter to mature will stand her in excellent stead for 2027.

WATCH: Chris Grassick review the race at Bath and possible next steps for Sweet Katarina

Of course, the welfare of our horses always comes first and we'll be guided by Chris [Grassick] when it comes to deciding what's best for Sweet Katarina. Chris knows this family particularly well and his patience and understanding of her talented, yet occasionally tricky, older sister Katalyst, have been rewarded handsomely. He's found the key to getting the very best out of her and we have every confidence in his judgement. Every horse is an individual and knowing when to give them time is every bit as important as knowing when they're ready to race. Sweet Katarina is in excellent hands and we'll make sure she has every opportunity to thrive.

Sweet Katarina has given us plenty of reasons to be proud of her and we're excited to see how she develops. She's a filly we think an awful lot of and we'll be cheering her on every step of the way! She's been a pleasure to follow throughout her first few outings and we'll be keeping members updated on her progress throughout the winter months as she enjoys some well-earned time in the field.