Son

It didn't quite work out that way. Trainer Tim Easterby, whose yard at Great Habton in North Yorkshire has sent out 138 winners this season alone — a remarkable output that shows just how well-run the operation is — scaled back the ambitions after Son showed guts without quite getting the job done. A fourth-place finish in the Greenham, a race that often features horses aimed at the Guineas, drew genuine praise from Easterby. He noted that Son looked like he might fade and finish sixth or seventh, then stuck his neck out instead. That kind of tenacity matters. But the decision was made to step down in class and find softer targets rather than chase the biggest races.

The problem is that Son's record at the top level makes difficult reading. He has raced seven times in Class 1 company — the very best races in Britain — and won none of them. His best form comes over seven furlongs to a mile, where he has won 1 from 8 races (around 1 in 8), which is at least a more encouraging ratio. Regular jockey Pat Dobbs, aboard for 11 of those 17 races, has that one win to show from their partnership.

His recent form — finishing sixth, seventh, eleventh, sixth, seventh, and second in his last six outings — suggests a horse who turns up, competes, and occasionally flashes a bit of quality without finding the winner's enclosure. That second-place last time out is the most encouraging recent figure. He raced just yesterday, so he is clearly still being aimed at targets and the yard believes there is more to come. Whether Son can rediscover the spark of that Newbury afternoon in 2023 remains the central question.