FOR many months the letters A.P. featured in racing headlines virtually every day. And now, for the next few weeks in the US (and hopefully beyond), it’s another A.P. that will take the headlines as American Pharoah heads to Belmont in an attempt to become the 12th winner of the American Triple Crown and the first in 37 years.

In that period 13 horses have gone to Belmont with two in the bag but the expectation died in New York as they came up short.