Salisbury

Just one race to its name, but it was an encouraging one — a narrow second-place finish, beaten by just a nose at Newbury. The problem is that was nearly six months ago, the longest absence of anyone in this field, and today's dry ground is new territory. With almost no evidence to go on, this is largely a leap of faith.

No prior races, but the breeding is as good as it gets — by Kingman out of a Galileo mare, a cross that has produced some top-class performers. The jockey Edward Greatrex comes in with the best recent record of anyone riding today, winning 5 from his last 12 rides, which is a notable positive. Of the four first-timers in this field, this is arguably the one with the most compelling combination of pedigree and in-form rider.

One race, one fifth-place finish, and then five months off the track — that is the sum total of what we know about Dream Camp. Like several others here, this horse has never raced on dry ground, so today is a step into the unknown on two fronts. Andrew Balding's yard has been in decent recent form, but the horse itself has given little to work with so far.

First time on a racecourse, so there is nothing in the form book to go on — this is a blank page. That said, the breeding is top-drawer: by Kingman out of a mare by Dubawi, two of the most celebrated sires in recent British racing. The stable wins roughly 1 in 4 races with first-time-out three-year-olds, which is a strong record — though the odds have drifted sharply from the morning price, which is worth noting.