Man's Best Friend

The horse broke its duck at Naas on 22 July, then came back eight days later to win again at Goodwood, a far more prestigious track. That second victory this week is the telling detail: Goodwood is a proper test, and winning there in quick succession shows this isn't a horse that was simply in the right place at the right time. The only blip came in the most recent outing, a fourth-place finish, but even that came after back-to-back wins. Two wins from the last three races is the kind of form line that catches the eye.

Man's Best Friend races for A P O'Brien's yard at Cashel in County Tipperary, a training operation that has already sent out 125 winners this season — a number that speaks to both the quality of horses and the management on the ground. The horse is still actively racing, having run just a day ago, which means the yard clearly have momentum and confidence in what they have. At two years old with this much early success, Man's Best Friend looks like one worth watching closely.