Precise

That climb has been steep and it has been fast. Precise won at Goodwood in late August before landing one of the most prestigious races for young horses in Britain — the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October — a Class 1 race that announced her as something genuinely special. Her trainer Aidan O'Brien described it as even more impressive than the performance of Minding, a filly widely regarded as one of the best of her generation. That is a bold comparison, and O'Brien is not a man given to careless compliments. His yard at Cashel, Co Tipperary has sent out 144 winners this season alone, so when he singles out one horse as being in a "different gear", it is worth paying attention.

There was a setback along the way — she picked up an infection after travelling to the Breeders' Cup in America, which interrupted what might have been an even more dramatic autumn. But she has bounced back without any apparent loss of ability. She raced just this week at the Curragh, winning again, and O'Brien noted she travelled powerfully and galloped all the way through the line without being asked a serious question. He added that she is still growing and maturing, which is perhaps the most intriguing part of all — a horse already winning the biggest races who has not yet reached her ceiling.

O'Brien has spoken about how easy everything has looked from her very first day. At Newmarket, her jockey was described as sitting almost motionless through the race before she simply stretched away. A horse that wins 5 from 7 and makes it look effortless is the kind you tell people about before the races, not after.