Isaac Newton

His only win came at Goodwood last August, where he landed one of the better races on the card — a Class 2, which sits near the top of British racing's pecking order. Goodwood is a famously tricky, undulating track that catches plenty of horses out, so winning there at three, in a competitive race, is worth noting. After that, he headed to France for a couple of outings and finished fourth and fifth, which on the face of it looks like a modest return. But O'Brien is relaxed about those runs, describing them as steps along the way rather than setbacks.

What makes Isaac Newton worth watching is what his trainer says about where he could go from here. O'Brien believes he is capable of significantly better — specifically over a mile and a half, which is a more demanding distance that rewards strength and stamina. That profile puts him squarely in the conversation for the biggest middle-distance races of the summer. The Derby, racing's most famous flat race, is one possibility, though O'Brien has hinted that Royal Ascot — five days of the most prestigious racing in the calendar — might suit him better depending on how things line up ahead of him in the yard. With a team as deep as O'Brien's, that is a real consideration: he trains multiple live contenders at once and has to choose his targets carefully.

He raced just one day ago, so he is very much in the thick of his season right now. The recent form reading — fifth, fourth, first, second — tells the story of a horse finding his feet before landing the win that mattered. If O'Brien is right that there is considerably more improvement to come, then the next few months could be very interesting indeed.