Returning Officer

What makes the picture a little more interesting is who has the horse in their care. Gordon Elliott's yard in Longwood, Co Meath, is one of the most powerful operations in Irish racing — 210 winners this season alone tells you this is not a small outfit hoping to get lucky. Elliott has built a team that consistently finds ways to win with horses at every level, so the fact that Returning Officer remains in that yard despite a blank record suggests patience rather than panic. Good trainers know that some horses take time to find their feet, and 210 winners gives you the luxury of playing the long game.

Raced just one day ago, Returning Officer is clearly in active campaigning. It will be worth watching where Elliott aims the horse next — the target chosen will start to tell you whether this is a project being quietly developed or simply a horse still finding its level.