Lunar Tide

What makes the profile even more compelling is who is doing the training. Joseph Patrick O'Brien, based at Owning Hill in Co Kilkenny, has sent out 154 winners already this season — a number that puts his yard among the most productive operations in Irish racing right now. When a yard is firing at that rate, the horses coming through it tend to be well-prepared and well-placed, and Lunar Tide looks to be no exception. The fact that Gowran Park sits practically on the doorstep of O'Brien's base is worth noting too — home track advantage is a real thing in racing, and a debut winner on a track the trainer knows inside out is rarely a coincidence.

With only two races to go on, there is still plenty to learn about Lunar Tide. But a horse that wins first time out and then places in its next run has done everything asked of it so far, and with a powerful yard behind it, the expectation will be that better days are coming.