Port Ferdinand

Trained by Aidan O'Brien at his famous yard in Cashel, Co Tipperary — a stable that has sent out 144 winners already this season — Port Ferdinand has raced three times and won once, with two further placed efforts alongside that win. That is a record of 1 from 3, or roughly 1 in every 3 races, which looks modest until you remember that the one win came with the odds stacked against him. After the race, stable representative Chris Armstrong made a point of highlighting the horse's attitude as much as his ability, which is exactly the kind of thing a team tends to say when they think something good is coming.

The trainer himself has noted that Port Ferdinand stays well and that the step up to middle distances — a mile and a quarter or further — should suit him. A Classic trial is on the agenda for 2026, which tells you everything about how this horse is regarded behind the scenes. Classic trials are the races where three-year-olds are tested against each other before the season's biggest prizes. The fact that this team are pointing him there, rather than dropping him into easier company, suggests they believe there is a proper horse developing here. Worth watching as the season unfolds.