Minerality

That said, context matters here. Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole, who train Minerality at their yard in Elmbridge, Worcestershire, are clearly a team in fine form — 49 winners sent out this season is a serious number, and it tells you this is not a yard that struggles to get horses ready to perform. When a stable is firing at that rate, even a horse still finding its feet has reason for quiet optimism. The team will know far more than the record suggests about where Minerality is headed.

Having raced just twice, and with a run as recently as yesterday, Minerality is very much a work in progress. Two races is barely enough to draw conclusions — some horses simply take time to find their rhythm. The next few outings will be telling.