North Coast

Both wins came at distances between seven furlongs and a mile, where his record reads two wins from three races — better than two in every three attempts at those trips. His first came at Down Royal in June, and he followed it up with a win at Leopardstown in July, one of the premier tracks in Ireland and not a place where ordinary horses win. That Leopardstown win, in particular, tells you this horse is competing at a decent level.

He has not raced since that July win — roughly eight months off — so the yard will be watching closely to see how he returns. But the O'Brien yard at Owning Hill is in exceptional form, having sent out 160 winners this season alone, and there is clearly a plan in place. O'Brien has spoken about the French Guineas as the opening target, a top-level race in France over a mile, and has hinted that stepping up in distance as the season progresses is very much part of the thinking. The suggestion that they might "travel a bit with him" is trainer-speak for targeting the big international races — the kind of events that define a horse's reputation.

The combination of a clean record at the right distances, a trainer firing on all cylinders, and a clear ambition to test him at the highest level makes North Coast one of the more interesting three-year-olds to follow this spring.