Victorious

What makes the record even more striking is where that latest win came. Ascot, just this week, is one of the most famous and competitive venues in the world — the kind of place that sorts out the serious horses from the ones who were simply beating ordinary rivals at smaller tracks. Victorious went there and won anyway. For a two-year-old to travel to Ascot and come home first is a serious statement.

Behind the horse is one of the most formidable training operations in the sport. Aidan P O'Brien, based at Cashel in County Tipperary, has sent out 138 winners already this season alone. That is a staggering number — it means his yard is producing winners at a relentless pace, and Victorious sits right at the heart of it, currently on a three-race winning streak with a 100% record. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse and it keeps winning, it is usually because they believe there is something genuinely special in front of them.

Three from three is a perfect start, but it also means everything is still to play for. The unbeaten record brings pressure as much as it brings excitement — the question now is how high this horse can go and how long the winning run can last.