Moroder

The key to understanding Moroder is ground. He is, as trainer Seamus Mullins puts it, a spring horse — he needs fast, dry conditions to show his best, and he takes longer than most to reach his peak fitness each season. Doncaster suits him perfectly because even in winter the ground there tends to stay firmer than elsewhere. That patience has a pattern: he will look ordinary through the colder months and then suddenly click into gear when the season warms up. His trainer knew exactly what he had heading into the latest Grimthorpe win: "We knew going to Doncaster we had the real Moroder."

His partnership with jockey James Best is worth noting too. In 23 races together, Best has ridden him to 5 wins — a win rate of 22%, or just over 1 in every 4 rides. That is a strong number for a sport where winners are genuinely hard to find, and it speaks to how well the two understand each other.

There is a bigger target in mind. Mullins has mentioned the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown as the ultimate aim this season — a high-profile race he has clearly been planning around for months. The yard has had an in-and-out campaign, but with 10 winners this season and Moroder back in form, the timing feels right. For a 12-year-old who has already defied expectations twice at Doncaster, another big day out would surprise nobody who has been paying attention.