Premiere Ligne

His sole career win came at Lingfield Park in May 2024, and what followed was a remarkable run of near-misses at a much higher level. He finished second four times in a row in long-distance staying races, including in the Goodwood Handicap over two and a half miles and the Cesarewitch Trial — a race that acts as a warm-up for one of the most prestigious long-distance prizes in the British calendar. To run that consistently well in that company, against horses who specialise in those marathon trips, suggests Premiere Ligne is a better horse than his record on paper implies. He simply kept bumping into something slightly better.

His season ended on a flat note, beaten well in the Cesarewitch itself, and he has not raced since — it has now been 579 days, nearly 19 months, since he last appeared on a track. That is a long absence, and at seven years old, questions will be asked about whether he can return to the form that made him so competitive in those big staying races. His trainer Hughie Morrison, who operates out of East Ilsley in Berkshire and has sent out 20 winners already this season, has confirmed the horse will be back later in the year, which at least tells you the team believe there is still something to work with.

At his preferred trip of a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs, he has won 1 from 7 races — 14% — which is actually a decent return for a horse at his level. The challenge will be recapturing the form that made him a genuine contender in those marathon handicaps, and doing it after the longest break of his career.