Venetian Gold

The win at Kempton is the headline so far, but what adds real weight to it is the stable it comes from. Venetian Gold is trained by Roger Varian, one of the most respected names in British racing, operating out of Newmarket in Suffolk — the spiritual home of the sport in this country. Varian's yard has already sent out 87 winners this season alone. That isn't just impressive, it's relentless — roughly one winner every couple of days. When a horse comes out of an operation running at that kind of tempo, it tends to mean the team knows what they're doing with it.

Two races is a small sample, of course, and it would be getting ahead of things to draw too many conclusions. But a horse that wins on just its second career start, trained by someone who clearly has the yard firing on all cylinders right now, is absolutely one to keep an eye on as the season develops.