Eastern Queen

Her recent record reads 1-8-5 across her last three outings, meaning the Chepstow win came after two tougher runs where she finished eighth and fifth. That kind of dip before a breakthrough is not uncommon in young horses, and the fact that she bounced back with a win suggests she has genuine ability rather than just being lucky first time out. She is trained by John S O'Donoghue at the Curragh in Ireland, a yard that has already sent out seven winners this season and knows how to get horses to the track ready to run.

With Eastern Queen still active and racing regularly, the next few months will be telling. Early-season winners at two years old do not always develop into top-class horses, but when they combine a win with consistent racecourse experience — as she has now done — they often become interesting prospects to follow. She has shown she can beat a field; now comes the harder part of proving she can do it again.