IT’S a regular refrain that too many of the best horses are housed in too few yards, and that such a scenario is bad for competition, but while that holds true to some degree, the true test is in how competitive the top races are, and as long as the big guns are firing, then that state of affairs is usually enough to ensure that the pattern remains genuinely well contested.

The battle which has gone on between the superpowers of Coolmore and Godolphin helps to ensure that, but it’s not simply a duopoly, with operations like Al Shaqab, Qatar Racing and Phoenix Thoroughbreds all playing an increasing role, and old-school owner breeders like Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Anthony Oppenheimer proving that there is plenty of life in the traditional powerhouses.