Il Est Francais

That victory came 28 months ago now, and he has not managed to win since — three races, no wins, though he has placed twice along the way, suggesting he remains competitive without quite finding that winning feeling again. His overall record reads one win and two places from six races, which works out at roughly 1 in every 6 races ending in a winner's enclosure visit. It is not a flashy number, but context matters: five of those six races have been at the highest level, and winning 1 in 5 at Class 1 is genuinely respectable. Most horses never get near a race like that.

He is trained by Tom George, whose yard in Slad, Gloucestershire, has sent out five winners this season — a solid, functioning operation that knows how to place a horse. The fact that Il Est Francais has spent almost his entire career at the top level tells you the team believes he belongs there, even when the results have not come. He raced just yesterday, which means he is still very much in training and still being aimed at the big occasions.

What makes him worth watching is that Kempton record. His only win came there, and Kempton on Boxing Day is one of the most watched jump racing cards of the year, with big crowds and live television coverage. That he chose that stage for his career highlight says something about the horse, even if he has not been able to repeat it since. At 8, he is not old for a jumper, and with a yard still sending out winners around him, the hope will be that another day in the spotlight is not entirely out of reach.