What we do know is that Bunting Mental comes from a genuinely interesting bloodline. The father, Ardad, was a lightning-quick sprinter during his own racing days and has built a solid reputation as a sire of fast, precocious youngsters who tend to hit the ground running as two-year-olds. The mother's side carries the influence of Bated Breath, another horse associated with speed and sharpness. On paper, that is a combination that hints at a horse built to be quick out of the stalls from an early age rather than one who needs time and distance to find its stride.
The trainer, Hugo Palmer, operates out of Malpas in Cheshire and has had a productive season — 66 winners is a serious tally that reflects a yard firing on all cylinders. Palmer has a track record of doing well with young horses, which gives Bunting Mental a reasonable platform. A debut runner from a busy, confident yard in good form is always worth a second look, even when the horse itself is an open question. Everything here is still to be decided, but the ingredients are at least promising.