Wise Prince

What makes that Nottingham win worth paying attention to is the quality of the race itself. Class 2 contests sit near the very top of the British racing ladder, and landing one on your first attempt at that level, as a three-year-old still learning the job, is the kind of performance that gets people in yards talking. His recent form reads 8-3-1 in reverse chronological order — meaning he finished eighth on debut, third next time, then won. That is a horse improving quickly and in the right direction.

The team behind him gives every reason for confidence. John and Thady Gosden operate out of Newmarket, one of the most respected stables in the country, and have sent out 140 winners already this season — a volume that reflects a yard running at full tilt with horses good enough to back it up. When a stable of that calibre points a young horse at a Class 2 and he delivers, it tends to mean they saw something in him worth testing. Wise Prince, it seems, passed the test.