Painted Wolf

What makes the timing interesting is the level he did it at. Painted Wolf has spent most of his career competing at Class 4 — the middle tier of British racing — and had gone 0 from 3 at that level before this win. Getting off the mark there is no gimme, and it suggests he has been finding his feet rather than simply being outclassed. His recent form of a win and a second from his last two completed races is the kind of run that turns heads: horses who finish first and second back-to-back are clearly in form and worth following closely.

He is trained by Ben Case, whose yard in Edgcote, Northants, has sent out 10 winners already this season — a solid return that suggests a stable operating with confidence right now. Being part of a yard in that kind of form is no small thing; horses trained by in-form trainers tend to be fit, well-prepared, and aimed at races they can win. Painted Wolf's breakthrough this week looks like it fits exactly that pattern.

At eight years old, he is no youngster, but that is not unusual in jumping — horses often take time to mature and find their best trips and tracks. The question now is whether Fakenham is a track that suits him particularly well, and whether the team will come back here to find out.