Ksar d'Oudairies

That kind of debut win is rarer than it sounds. Most horses take a run or two to find their feet, so landing a race first time out suggests Ksar d'Oudairies arrived ready. Whether that form holds up next time out remains to be seen, but there is nothing on the record to suggest anything other than a confident, well-prepared yard sending a horse out at exactly the right moment.

That yard belongs to Mickey Bowen, based in Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire — not one of the traditionally glamorous training centres, but clearly a place getting results. Bowen has sent out 47 winners already this season, which is a serious tally and speaks to an operation running at full speed. A trainer putting up those numbers knows when a horse is ready, and Ksar d'Oudairies looks like exactly the kind of straightforward winner that keeps a busy yard ticking along.