When Aidan O’Brien jested last autumn that John Gosden “can whinge a little bit after races, whether he wins or loses”, most of us saw it as an entertaining segment that added a welcome splash of colour to the pair’s end-of-season battles.

Time is beginning to show, however, that there is at least a kernel of truth in what the Ballydoyle maestro hinted at last year. Gosden’s comments leading up to Royal Ascot, particularly around the landscape of the Derby at Epsom, carried a definite degree of saltiness. While racing ought to have real respect for the opinion of an experienced and talented horseman like Gosden, it’s hard to say that these ones are entirely justified.