Viscountess Nelson

She arrives in Nicky Henderson's yard already knowing how to win. Before she ever set foot on a racecourse proper, she had won a point-to-point — a tough, unpredished test of jumping ability over open country. Henderson, speaking during a stable tour last autumn, was measured but clearly interested, noting she looked like she had enough pace to compete over two miles and that she moved well even in early work. From a man who sends out winners at the rate his yard does — 85 this season alone — that kind of quiet optimism tends to mean something.

Henderson's operation at Upper Lambourn is one of the most powerful in Britain, and the fact that Viscountess Nelson has been placed there from the start tells you the team see genuine potential. She is still early in her career, with only three races to judge her on, but the evidence so far — a point-to-point win, consistent placed runs, and a first career victory this week — suggests she is a horse worth watching as the yard look to find out exactly how good she can be.