Felix Guido

Before arriving at Joseph Patrick O'Brien's yard in Owning Hill, Co Kilkenny, Felix Guido had already put together a perfect record in Poland — three races, three wins. O'Brien was impressed enough to ask the Irish handicapper to assess him, and the official rating that came back was 90. To put that in context, a mark of 90 is a genuinely competitive number for a three-year-old stepping into decent company. O'Brien has said the horse is working in a way that matches that figure, which is the kind of thing a trainer only says when he means it. A yard that has sent out 154 winners this season is not short of horses to talk up — Felix Guido has caught their attention for a reason.

The plan, according to O'Brien, is a three-year-old race over a mile at Naas, which would suit a horse still finding his feet in a new country and a new environment. His sire is Starspangledbanner, a sprinter-turned-miler whose offspring tend to be athletic and quick-maturing — O'Brien described Felix Guido as a "good physical type", which from a trainer of his calibre is a meaningful endorsement. The tenth-place finish last time out is best set aside for now. What matters is what comes next.