Alcanzor

What makes the next chapter interesting is the gap since we last saw it. Alcanzor hasn't raced in roughly four months, which is a long time away for a youngster still learning the ropes. That kind of break can mean all sorts of things — a minor setback, a chance to mature and strengthen, or simply a trainer taking his time. What it does mean is that Alcanzor returns as something of an unknown quantity.

That trainer is Tim Easterby, based at Great Habton in North Yorkshire, and his yard is having a serious season — 138 winners so far, which is the output of an operation firing on all cylinders. Easterby knows how to place young horses, and the fact that he's kept faith with Alcanzor through a quiet start and brought it back after a break suggests there may be more to this horse than its record currently shows. Whether that faith is rewarded is the question worth watching.