Wild Bessie

The recent form is a little harder to read. Looking at her last four races from most to least recent — seventh, tenth, first, eighth — you can see she has been inconsistent, sandwiching that Cork victory between some runs where she has failed to make an impression. That kind of up-and-down form is not unusual for a three-year-old still learning the game, but it does mean her supporters will be hoping she can rediscover the level she showed in April.

What gives real cause for optimism is the yard she comes from. Henry De Bromhead, based at Knockeen in County Waterford, is one of the most respected trainers in Ireland, and his operation has sent out 110 winners already this season — a remarkable output that tells you this is a team that knows how to get horses to the track in the best possible shape. When a horse from this yard shows promise, it tends to be the real thing.

Wild Bessie raced just yesterday, so she is very much a live, active story. With three years of racing still ahead of her and a trainer of De Bromhead's calibre in her corner, the Cork win looks less like a one-off and more like the first chapter.