Jeroboam Machin

That absence is the central mystery here. A horse who wins on debut, wins again next time out, and then disappears for more than two years is not following a conventional career path. Whether that is down to injury, a careful training plan, or simply waiting for the right opportunity, only Emmet Mullins and his yard at Bagenalstown know for certain. What is clear is that when Jeroboam Machin has been asked a question on a racecourse, he has answered it correctly every single time — 2 from 2, a 100% win rate, which is as clean as it gets.

Mullins is a trainer worth paying attention to. The Bagenalstown operation has sent out 31 winners already this season, which speaks to a yard that knows how to get horses ready to perform. When Jeroboam Machin does eventually return, he will be in capable hands. The question is simply whether a horse coming back after such a long break can pick up where he left off — and whether that unbeaten record, one of the more unusual things in racing, will survive its first real test.