Calef

What works in Calef's favour is where it calls home. The horse is trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in North Yorkshire, one of the busiest and most productive yards in the north of England. O'Meara's team has sent out 101 winners already this season — that is a serious operation, and horses in that yard tend to be placed with care, improved steadily, and given every chance to find their feet. For a two-year-old still finding its way, being in a yard that knows how to develop young horses is exactly the right environment.

Calef raced just one day ago, so it is right in the thick of its season. At this stage, the record matters less than the trajectory — two-year-olds can improve sharply and quickly, and plenty of horses have started slowly before clicking into gear later in the summer or autumn. Whether Calef is one of them remains to be seen, but with a capable team behind it and time still on its side, it would be premature to write it off just yet.