Star Prospect

The win came at The Curragh on 19 April, on debut, which is about as clean a start as a young horse can make. Trainer Joseph O'Brien was clearly struck by what he saw, describing the performance as very impressive — particularly the way Star Prospect powered through the final 100 yards despite running a little green, which is the polite way of saying the horse was still figuring out what racing actually is. The fact it won so strongly while still learning is the part worth sitting up for. O'Brien noted that the horses it beat look like decent sorts, which matters — a debut win over weak opposition tells you less than a debut win over horses that go on to be competitive themselves.

Speed is the headline. O'Brien has been open about the fact that Star Prospect has shown natural pace from early in its training, and that tends to be the kind of quality that translates quickly at the top level. The Royal Ascot Norfolk Stakes — one of the most prestigious races for fast, young horses in Britain — has already been mentioned as a target. That is not a race the yard point ordinary two-year-olds towards. A prep run, possibly back at The Curragh in early May, is the likely next step before any decision on the bigger stage.

O'Brien's yard at Owning Hill has sent out 160 winners already this season, which gives a sense of the operation behind this horse. When a trainer running at that volume singles out a two-year-old as a potential Ascot contender after one race, it is worth paying attention. Star Prospect raced just a day ago and remains very much in training. The story is only just beginning.