AS we enter August, the first season sire race has taken shape, yet is constantly changing as juveniles either confirm their promise or muddy the form. The Qatar Goodwood Festival provided plenty of pointers, with a colt breaking their maiden in a Group 3 among those changing their sire’s early profiles.

I looked beyond the bare figures, dissecting the form of the notable winners and examining their pedigrees, as though this feature is about stallions, a portion of their success and disappointments must rest with the mares.