WATCH the replay of Hardest Core (40) winning the Arlington Million and it’s easy to see why he was bought as a steeplechasing prospect. He’s a big-bodied, rangy sort, nearly 17 hands high, with a long raking stride.

However, Hardest Core clearly has speed too. As the race developed into a sprint finish he was visibly moving better than the smart runner-up Magician and the front-running Side Glance. Despite getting thrown wide by his sheer bulk rounding the home turn, he readily ran his rivals down.