What gives In The City a genuine chance of making an impression is the stable behind it. Warren Greatrex trains out of Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, and his yard has already sent out 50 winners this season — that is the kind of form that tells you horses are arriving at the track fit, healthy, and ready to run. Greatrex is not a trainer who sends horses out unprepared, and a debut runner from a yard in that sort of shape deserves respect.
Being four years old and making a first appearance is slightly unusual — most horses debut earlier — but it does not necessarily mean anything negative. Some horses simply take longer to develop, and occasionally they arrive at the track more mature and more ready to perform than a younger, less experienced rival. Whether that is the case here remains to be seen. For now, In The City is an interesting unknown: good breeding, a yard in fine form, and everything still to prove.