Square d'Alboni

What stands out is his preference for distance. Over the longer trips at two miles or more, he has won half his races — two wins from four attempts. That kind of consistency over stamina races marks him as genuinely suited to the job, and it is no surprise that his most recent win came at Worcester on 16 July, where he clearly rose to the occasion. Trainer Dan Skelton, whose Alcester yard has already sent out 198 winners this season, seems to have found the right formula: pairing the horse with jockey Hector Crouch, who has won on him twice from six rides together. That is the same one-in-three win rate the horse maintains overall, suggesting they work well as a team.

He has raced only once in the past week and remains an active runner. At Class 2 level — the upper reaches of racing — he has won just one from four races, which tells you he faces tougher opposition in those contests than he does lower down. But with a clear affinity for distance racing and a trainer in red-hot form, Square d'Alboni looks like a horse that knows what it is good at. The next step is consistency at the highest level.