Causeway

The trainer behind this run is Aidan O'Brien, whose operation at Cashel in Co Tipperary is one of the most powerful in European racing. His yard has sent out 144 winners this season alone — a number that reflects the sheer scale and quality of the operation. O'Brien has been quietly enthusiastic about Causeway, describing him as brave and tough, and noting that the horse took a run last year to find his form, partly because he was a little lazy. That laziness, it turns out, may be a feature rather than a bug.

Jockey Wayne Lordan offered a fascinating glimpse into how Causeway actually races. At The Curragh this week, Lordan noticed that the horse seemed to ease up mid-race — then spotted something on the far side of the track and immediately quickened again. His read? Causeway is the kind of horse who needs company to really switch on. That is a temperament quirk worth knowing. Some horses run best when they're alone and clear; Causeway apparently needs something to chase. It does not appear to be holding him back.

O'Brien believes the horse is comfortable over a mile and could well get further as he develops — which, for a three-year-old just hitting his stride in the spring of his second season, is a genuinely exciting prospect. The plan, by O'Brien's own account, is to go gently with him and let him mature rather than throw him into the deep end. That patience has already produced three wins in a row. If the horse keeps responding the way he has been, the step up in distance and class will come soon enough.