Rebel Moon

Her first win came at Gowran Park in April, and by all accounts it was an eye-opener. Trainer Joseph O'Brien noted that he had expected her to be a little green — inexperienced and easily distracted, as young horses often are first time out — but she settled beautifully and, when her jockey Joey Sheridan asked her to go and win the race in the final stretch, she delivered with the kind of authority you don't usually see on a debut. O'Brien described it simply: "Maybe she's just a smart filly." Coming from a trainer who has handled some of the best horses in Europe, that is not a throwaway line.

She then went on to win at Naas in late June, confirming that the first performance was no fluke. O'Brien's yard at Owning Hill has sent out 160 winners already this season, so this is a team that knows what a good horse looks like — and Rebel Moon appears to have caught their attention. Early talk has centred on stepping her up to the most prestigious races for three-year-old fillies, with trials at Chester and Naas mentioned as possible next steps on the way to bigger targets.

What makes Rebel Moon genuinely interesting is the combination of natural ability and racing intelligence. Horses that are precocious enough to win first time out, then back it up against better company, are the ones that tend to matter when the big occasions come around. She last raced just yesterday, so she is firmly in the middle of what looks like a promising campaign. If she continues to improve at the rate she has suggested so far, the top races for her generation are well within reach.