Romeo's Guardian

What gives the picture more texture is who has him in their care. Hugo Palmer, based at Malpas in Cheshire, is having a productive season — 66 winners already sent out from the yard, which tells you this is a competent, active operation that knows how to get horses ready to run. Palmer flagged Romeo's Guardian as a horse he liked the look of early on, describing him as one who goes well at home. That kind of quiet confidence from a trainer matters, even if the racecourse form hasn't caught up yet.

Romeo's Guardian raced just one day ago, so this is very much a story still being written. At three years old, there's time on his side, and horses at this age can take several runs to find their feet — a couple of mid-pack finishes don't necessarily tell you much about where the ceiling is. The question is whether the talent Palmer has seen at home starts to show up when it counts.