Anniversary

What makes Anniversary's situation more understandable is the level at which the horse has been asked to compete. Class 2 races are among the better contests on the British calendar — not quite the headline events, but not far off — and Anniversary has run in four of them without getting to the winner's enclosure. Zero wins from four attempts at that level is not a disgrace, but it does suggest the horse is operating right at the edge of its comfort zone. The places suggest it belongs in the conversation; the finishing positions suggest others are just a bit better.

The trainer is Ralph Beckett, whose yard at Kimpton in Hampshire has been in fine form this season — 109 winners sent out is a genuinely impressive number, the kind that tells you this is a well-run operation with horses in good order. Anniversary has not been the biggest contributor to that tally, but being in such a yard means it is at least being given every chance. Whether the Newmarket win was a sign of things to come or simply a career highlight that has yet to be matched is the question worth watching. With the horse active and racing as recently as yesterday, the answer may not be far away.