Pierre Bonnard

He is trained by Aidan O'Brien at Cashel in County Tipperary, one of the most powerful yards in the world. That is not background noise — O'Brien's operation has sent out 125 winners already this season alone, and when a horse from that yard is described as a Derby horse, people listen. O'Brien has been explicit about the plan: Epsom is the target, with Irish trials at Leopardstown likely stepping stones along the way. Pierre Bonnard's most recent race, just a day ago, saw him finish seventh, but O'Brien was quick to explain that away — the horse was never ideally positioned, he wanted a longer trip, and the team are confident he will leave that run well behind him.

What makes Pierre Bonnard genuinely exciting is what O'Brien says about him away from the racecourse. He describes a big, relaxed horse with a long stride and a beautiful mind — the kind of horse who does not waste energy being difficult. That temperament matters enormously over a mile and a half, which is what Epsom demands. The jockey who rode him at Newmarket, Christophe, was apparently always super-impressed with him. Ryan Moore, who rode him at the Curragh, also came away believing in him. When two jockeys of that calibre leave a horse's back enthusiastic, that tells you something the form book alone cannot.

His recent sequence reads 1-1-7-2-7-3 from most recent backwards, which looks patchy on paper but makes sense in context — two wins, a flat run on unsuitable ground, a place, another flat run, and a place. This is a horse still being pointed rather than one at his peak. If he gets a clean run at an Irish Derby trial on a suitable surface, the form he showed in October at Newmarket suggests he could be something special.