On paper, the breeding has some appeal. Union Boy is by Workforce, the horse who won the 2010 Epsom Derby in one of the most visually stunning performances in recent memory, smashing the course record by over two seconds. Breeding doesn't guarantee anything, but it tells you the raw material is there. The dam — his mother — is by Golan, another serious stallion with Classic-winning credentials, so this is a horse put together with some thought.
He runs for the yard of M O Quigley, trained out of Portlaoise in County Laois. It's a small operation by most measures — just one winner on the board so far this season — which means when they do send a horse out, they tend to mean it. Small yards don't run horses for the exercise. Today will tell us a lot about what Union Boy is, and whether the wait has been worth it.