Montreal

That win came in normal conditions over seven furlongs, and the manner of it was what caught everyone's attention. Eight lengths is not a margin you see every day, particularly from a horse with so little experience. He has raced just twice in his life, finishing third on debut and then producing that Leopardstown display, giving him a record of one win and two places from two races — a ratio that tells you almost nothing about his ceiling but everything about his potential.

He has not been seen since that August victory, which means he is returning from roughly eight months off the track. That kind of break for a young horse heading into his classic season demands attention, because it usually means the team has been patient and deliberate — waiting for the right moment rather than burning him up in winter prep races. Aidan O'Brien, who trains Montreal at his yard in Cashel, Co Tipperary, is not a trainer who needs to rush. His operation has sent out 144 winners already this season, which is an almost industrial level of output from a yard that also happens to specialise in producing Derby horses.

And that is the word being used. O'Brien has spoken openly about Montreal being a potential Epsom horse — a candidate for the Derby, the most famous mile-and-a-half flat race in the world. There is some uncertainty about whether the trip will suit him, and the team are weighing up whether to start him over a mile or a mile and a quarter, with a trial race the likely stepping stone. Chantilly, home of the French Derby, has also been mentioned as a possible destination. That range of options tells you they are thinking big.

For a horse with just two races to his name, Montreal carries an unusual weight of expectation. But when your second run ends in an eight-length win and your trainer is already mapping out routes to Epsom, it is hard to argue the ambition is misplaced.