Aill Dubh

What makes that Newcastle win particularly interesting is the context. Aill Dubh has run three times at the level he typically competes at — Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter tier of British racing — and he had gone winless in all three before that breakthrough. Getting off the mark at nine is not unheard of, but it does suggest a horse who has taken a long time to put everything together. Whether that's down to finding the right conditions, the right track, or simply maturing late, Newcastle seems to have brought out the best in him.

He runs out of Micky Hammond's yard in Middleham, North Yorkshire — a stable that has been busy and productive this season, sending out 31 winners. That level of output from a training operation suggests a team that knows how to place horses well and find the right opportunities, which bodes well for keeping Aill Dubh in form. He raced just a day ago, so he is very much in the thick of things right now rather than building back towards a target.

At nine, the window is not wide open, but the recent form figures suggest he is running as well as he ever has. For a horse who spent so long finishing just outside the winning positions, finally getting that win on the board — and then continuing to run competitively in the races that followed — is the most encouraging thing about him. Whether he can add to that tally remains to be seen, but right now Aill Dubh looks like a horse who has found his level and is making the most of it.