Telegraph Road

That fourth-place finish came just yesterday, so Telegraph Road is very much in the thick of an active campaign. Trainers rarely bring a young horse back quickly unless they see something worth nurturing, and John S O'Donoghue, who operates out of Curragh in County Kildare, clearly has reasons to keep the faith. His yard has sent out 7 winners already this season, which shows this is a team that knows how to get horses ready to perform. The Curragh base is significant too — it sits at the heart of Irish flat racing, surrounded by some of the best training ground in the country.

At this stage, Telegraph Road is very much a work in progress. Two-year-olds are essentially teenagers finding their feet, and finishing fourth from six runners is a decent enough building block. Whether there is a first win around the corner remains to be seen — but the direction of travel, at least, is pointing the right way.