What we do know comes from the family tree. Screen Actor's father, Twirling Candy, was a high-class American sprinter who made his name over short, sharp distances, and that speed tends to travel down the generations. The mother's side carries the influence of Eskendereya, a horse built more for stamina and a strong gallop. It is an interesting mix — the kind of breeding that could produce a horse who wants a bit of distance but gets there in a hurry.
The trainer is Michael Attwater, whose yard sits in Epsom, Surrey — home of the Derby, and one of the most demanding tracks in the country to train around. Attwater is having a productive season, with 27 winners already sent out, which tells you this is a yard in form and confident in what it is doing. When a stable is firing like that, a first-time runner is worth paying attention to. They tend to know more about their horses than anyone on the outside, and a trainer who keeps finding winners does not waste a racecourse entry.
Screen Actor is a debut horse in a yard that is clearly in its stride. Beyond that, the race itself will tell us everything.