Climate, handling, racing and training styles are all factors that contribute to a somewhat different lifestyle for racehorses and breeding stock in the northern and southern hemispheres and there is no guarantee that a stallion will click in both regions, no matter how outstanding he is in one.

Coolmore Stud's Fastnet Rock is one of the success stories, an Australian sprint star and champion sire who, despite an initially slower than expected start in Europe, has seen his profile here soar over the past two years.

Fascinating Rock, Diamondsandrubies and Qualify all won for him at the highest level in 2015 and, in 2016, the juveniles Intricately and Rivet have added their name to his roll of honour.

His overall global tally stands at 25 Group/Grade 1 winners and, as you might expect of a son of Danehill (by Danzig) and grandson of Royal Academy (by Nijinsky), many of his best progeny represent broodmare sires with strong European and North American connections.

Matching up the Danehill and Sadler's Wells lines is a hugely popular strategy that has produced a lot of success and the Group 1-winning Fastnet Rocks who represent that broad cross are Diamondsandrubies, First Seal, Intricately, Magicool, and Qualify, while those whose broodmare sire represents the Nureyev line (Sadler's Wells's three-parts brother) are Fascinating Rock, Mosheen, Nechita and Rock Classic.

Qualify gave him a European classic success when springing a 50/1 shock in the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom last year and, like her, his current juvenile stars are out of daughters of Galileo (by Sadler's Wells). Intricately won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes last month and Rivet advertised his classic potential when beating Yucatan by one and three-quarter lengths in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday.

The latter, a William Haggas-trained bay, was bred by Des Scott, he carries the colours of The Starship Partnership, and he has won three of his five starts. Runner-up over six furlongs at Ascot in July, he impressed over seven furlongs at York the following month and then narrowly beat Thunder Snow in the Group 2 At The Races Champagne Stakes over the the same trip at Doncaster in September.

He moved up to a rating of 114 after that success, the colt who finished five lengths further back in third – D'bai – has won a listed contest since – but Rivet disappointed next time when only fifth behind Churchill in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

His Group 1 success at Doncaster was achieved on ground that was at least good, if not a bit faster (according to the time analysts), the strength of the competition was some way below what he faced at Newmarket, but he did it well, and with his pedigree this victory greatly increases the likelihood that he will join the stallion ranks whenever his racing days come to an end.

Not only is he by a leading international classic sire, but Rivet is a half-brother to the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes winner and Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes third Alexander Pope, his dam, Starship (by Galileo), is a winning half-sister to juvenile champion Superstar Leo (by College Chapel), and there are two mile classic heroes in his family, both of whom are blacktype sires.

Superstar Leo won the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and Group 3 Norfolk Stakes, she was runner-up in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, and it was her performance in the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp that sealed her championship title. She chased home Namid that day and had the previous month's Group 1 Sprint Cup star Pipalong three lengths behind in third.

Superstar Leo is the dam of the listed scorer and Group 3 Jersey Stakes runner-up Sentaril (by Danehill Dancer) and of the Group 3 King George Stakes and Group 3 Molecomb Stakes heroine Enticing (by Pivotal), and in addition to Starship, her siblings include New York (by Danzero), a non-winner whose son December Draw (by Medecis) won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes over 10 furlongs at Flemington five years ago.

Like that latter relation, Rivet should stay a mile and a quarter next season and given how he won over the mile at two, the record of his half-brother and being a representative of the Fastnet Rock-Galileo cross, one might presume that he will stay the Derby distance too.

But will he?

His triple-winning dam was well-beaten the twice she ran beyond eight and a half furlongs, his sire was a star sprinter, and the best horses in his family were mostly either sprinters or milers, or both.

So what of his other notable relations?

The two classic winners were speed horses, which was not entirely a surprise given the records of their sires, and it should be noted that one of the pair did not run again after his top-level success.

The third dam of Rivet is Dancing Rocks (by Green Dancer), the Group 2 Nassau Stakes heroine who finished third in the Group 2 Coronation Stakes at Ascot and fourth in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks before going on to make an impact at stud and, in addition to the non-winning Council Rock – dam of Superstar Leo and Starship - she is best known as being the dam of Glatisant (by Rainbow Quest).

That filly won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood as a juvenile, she was runner-up in the Listed Joel Stakes at three, and she is the dam of the lightly-raced and undefeated Group 1 2000 Guineas hero Footstepsinthesand (by Giant's Causeway) and his Group 1 Phoenix Stakes-winning half-brother Pedro The Great (by Henrythenavigator).

The latter is at stud in France and had some of his first yearlings on offer this year, and Footstepsinthesand is the internationally successful Group 1 sire whose progeny include Chachamaidee, Shamalgan, Steinbeck (aka Pure Champion) and 2016 group/graded winners Heshem, Kaspersky, Living The Life, and juvenile colt Larchmont Lad, whose Newmarket Group 3-winning form has been working out quite well.

Glatisant, who is also the dam of the Group 2-placed stakes-winning filly Belle D'Or (by Medaglia d'Oro), is a half-sister to the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner and Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks third Rockerlong (by Deploy), to the dual stakes-placed Charlotte Corday (by Kris), and to three others who deserve mention because of what they achieved at stud.

In the case of Pippas Song (by Reference Point), she is the dam of the listed race winners Edinburgh Knight (by Selkirk) and Nightbird (by Night Shift) but it is her grand-daughter who makes her more significant as that talented filly is the US mile Grade 2 scorer Lady Lara (by Excellent Art). Rainbow Goddess, on the other hand, is a full-sister to Glatisant and she is the dam of the Group 3 Queen's Vase scorer Mahler (by Galileo), a horse who is quite closely related to Rivet's dam.

He was runner-up in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster, finished third in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington, and he is a popular member of the team at Beeches Stud with the Grade 2-winning hurdler Sutton Place among his earliest runners. His profile, however, suggests that he got the stamina of both of his parents, whereas Starship's comparable pace suggests that she did not.

The other notable daughter of Dancing Rocks is Frappe (by Inchinor), a juvenile winner whose string of successful offspring includes three of considerable note.

Thakafaat (by Unfuwain), her first foal, won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and has successful progeny that include a multiple chase scorer, and that mare's one-time winning half-sister Applauded (by Royal Applause) has produced US listed scorers by the outstanding Green Desert (by Danzig) stallions Oasis Dream and Invincible Spirit.

More notable, however, are the Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes-winning half-sister and Group 1 Irish Oaks third Curvy (by Galileo) and the young Coolmore Stud stallion Power (by Oasis Dream). He won Listed Marble Hill Stakes, Group 2 Coventry Stakes and Group 1 National Stakes as a juvenile, added the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at three, and is a leading freshman sire whose first crop contains four European stakes winners.

His Group 1-placed pattern-winning son Peace Envoy was reviewed here earlier in the year and that colt has been joined by the pattern-placed Italian stakes winner Biz Power, Saturday's Newbury listed scorer Cristal Fizz, and the Group 3 Worthington's Horris Hill Stakes scorer Pleaseletmewin, who was sold for 450,000gns during today's session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in Newmarket. The stallion also has a listed scorer in New Zealand and a daughter who has been listed-placed in Italy and in California.

Rivet is the latest Group 1 winner for leading international sire Fastnet Rock and he is the latest in a long line of top-level winners for the distaff side of his family.

His relations include the classic winners and successful stallions Footstepsinthesand and Power, and although further improvement looks necessary if he too is to win a Group 1 classic, he is a talented colt who should stay 10 furlongs and whose ability to get beyond that will depend likely on whether he has got the speed or stamina contributions from his parents' genetic make-up.

Sales reports focus on the most expensive lots of the auction, sometimes including a few whose price rose but failed to beat the reserve, or even the occasional expensive buy-back. They talk about aggregates, averages (which are too easily skewed by outliers) and medians (more useful than the mean), hail records and paint the most favourable image possible of the day's trade.

As a feature I wrote for The Irish Times many years ago highlighted ('The Glorious Uncertainty', 4th October 1993, p.30), and as is well-known within the industry, the horses who make the fancy prices in the ring may not be the ones who eventually make headlines on the track.

Often we see Group 1 and even classic stars come from the mid-range of the market or even from its lower end, but nobody really expects those who are led out of the ring unsold for comparatively tiny figures to be remembered by anyone but their connections.

On occasion a notable performer or even a star will emerge from those apparently most insignificant of auction ring offerings and, in 2016, we have seen one of them.

This year's edition of the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot February Sale was a 109-lot auction whose top price was a £23,000 gelded five-year-old by leading National Hunt sire Oscar, and the Lot 8 in the catalogue was a two-year-old great-granddaughter of Danzig (by Northern Dancer) whose dam's record included defeat in a seller.

She was bought back for £1,000. Nearly eight months later her value has soared, her earnings are just short of £200,000, and she is an undefeated winner of the Group 3 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes over five furlongs at Newmarket.

Mrs Danvers was bred by Mark Burton and Connie Hopper, the Jonathan Portman-trained grey is another talented runner for the Bucklands Farm & Stud stallion Hellvelyn (by Ishiguru) – also sire of Group 3 winner and Group 1 Commonwealth Cup fourth La Rioja – and her pattern success was achieved in juvenile course record time.

She was 33/1 when winning a Lingfield novice median auction race on her debut in mid-June, and odds-on when following that three and a quarter-length success with a two and a quarter-length one at Windsor 15 days later, both on soft ground. She then beat 22 other rivals to take the richly endowed Weatherbys Super Sprint on fast ground at Newbury and followed that, a month later, with a two-length score in the Listed St Hugh's Fillies' Stakes at the same venue.

The one who chased her home at Newmarket was the Group 2-placed listed scorer Clem Fandango, the Group 3 scorers Afandem and Yalta – both carrying 6lbs more than her - were fourth and sixth, and her official handicap mark was raised to 105.

That leaves her with plenty of improvement to make if she is to reach the frame in next year's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, but this filly has already surpassed expectations, it's not impossible that she will indeed hit the top of her division at three, and no matter how the rest of her racing career turns out, she has already done enough to ensure that she will get good opportunities at stud.

Mrs Danvers is the second foal out of Rebecca De Winter (by Kyllachy) and that mare was better than the earlier comment might make her sound. Yes, she was beaten in a seller and her final start was an unplaced finish in a claimer, but she won a Chester maiden on her second start at two, was beaten by just under five lengths when unplaced in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and was first past the post in a six-furlong Lingfield claimer that November.

The mare is a half-sister to the prolific gelding Izzthatright (by Moss Vale). His victory in the Listed Champion Two Yrs Trophy over six furlongs at Ripon was his third one that season, he added another over seven furlongs at Doha, in Qatar, that December, and went on to win several more races in that country. He was short-headed in a valuable local Group 3 event over six furlongs and has also been a runner-up over a mile.

Their dam, Miss Adelaide (by Alzao), won twice over five furlongs on the artificial track at Wolverhampton, was placed multiple times over six and seven furlongs and was also runner-up in a six-runner maiden over 10 furlongs at Ayr. She hit a peak rating of 80 and retired on 70.

One of her half-brothers, Micks Delight (by Sir Ivor), won three times from a mile to 12 furlongs on the flat but also won twice over hurdles and even a two and a half-mile chase.

Another is Sweet Trentino (by High Estate), who finished with a 34-rating on the turf, 42 on the all-weather, and 75 over hurdles, but won claimers over a mile at Goodwood and Newmarket, a claimer over two and a half miles at Doncaster and a three-mile selling handicap hurdle at Worcester. He even ran in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, although was 200/1 and beaten by 75 lengths.

It is when you look at the next generations of the pedigree, however, that you will find not just a string of blacktype earners but also a popular and prolific gelding whose double-digit tally included races that today carry Group 1 status.

The third dam of Mrs Danvers is Sweet Adelaide (by The Minstrel), she was third in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh as a juvenile, was later a stakes-placed winner in South Africa, and she was a full-sister both to juvenile listed scorer Solaboy and to the pattern-placed 13-times winner New Constitution.

Her half-sister Soiree (by Sadler's Wells) won the Listed Radley Stakes in England as a juvenile and was placed in both the Group 3 Matron Stakes and Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at three, and their dam was the listed race winner and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes fourth Seminar (by Don).

That mare produced an outstanding tally of 11 winners from 16 foals, 13 of whom ran, and she, in turn, was among six winners from the 13 foals of Solar Echo (by Solar Slipper). That unplaced mare was a full-sister to the stakes-placed Easter Slipper but is more notable as being the dam of Beresford Stakes winner Sovereign Slipper (by Fortino) and of Boldboy (by Bold Lad USA).

Lady Beaverbrook's star was trained by Dick Hern, he was gelded after finishing fourth in both his starts at two, and went on to become of one of the most popular horses in training over the next seven years.

He won the Greenham Stakes, Prix de la Porte Maillot, Challenge Stakes and Diadem Stakes at three, earning a Timeform rating of 126. At four he won the Lockinge Stakes (TFR 125), at six he took the Waterford Crystal Mile (now Celebration Mile) (TFR 126), and the age of seven he added the Sprint Cup, Duke of York Stakes, and another renewal of the Challenge Stakes (TFR 126). His winning tally also included four editions of the Abernant Stakes, the last of those coming in 1978, at the age of eight.

Mrs Danvers has raced only at five furlongs but is bred to stay six or even seven, and the fact that she has won on both soft ground and fast ground is another plus in her favour. It will be fascinating to see just how good she really is, and this talented daughter of Hellvelyn could be the best that this family has produced since Boldboy.

Juvenile maidens at the best tracks are contests to which we often look in our search for potential top-class performers, and the seven-furlong fillies' maiden at Newmarket on 26th August has been attracting a lot of attention.

Spatial, who had been runner-up in a similar event on her only previous start, 20 days before, was an odds-on winner, beating the newcomer Unforgetable Filly by two and a half lengths. Sobetsu was a length back in third, also making her debut, and the once-raced Flying North was another neck away in fourth.

Since then, Flying North has won over a mile at Ascot, Unforgetable Filly romped home by seven lengths at Lingfield before being short-headed in a conditions race back at Newmarket, and Sobetsu's 10-length victory over a mile, also at headquarters, was one of the most impressive by any two-year-old of 2016.

As these winners emerged, it was time to look back at Spatial's debut. Who beat her that day?

It was a Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium) debutante, that length-and-a-quarter scorer had not run since, and there would be an understandable temptation to think that this one could be a potential star, given the collateral form that followed.

Often it does not work out that way, but now that chestnut has had her second start, and with the way that Wuheida beat Promise To Be True, Dabyah and Senga in the Group 1 Total Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches over a mile at Chantilly this afternoon, she could indeed be anything. The margins were three-parts of a length, a short-neck, and another three-parts of a length, and there was an additional two-length gap back to the fifth, Group 3 scorer Cavale Doree.

Wuheida was bred by Darley, she is trained by Charlie Appleby and she carries the famous colours of Godolphin. She is a first European juvenile Group 1 scorer for her outstanding sire Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium), although not his first ever top-level two-year-old winner as was reported in some places. Summerhill Stud's new stallion Willow Magic won the Grade 1 The South African Nursery at Turffontein at that age in 2013.

Her three-year-old half-sister Lacey's Lane (by Street Cry) was a wide-margin winner of a 10 and a half furlong maiden in the French provinces in August, her dam's third foal is a Dubawi filly born in April of this year, and the mare is Hibaayeb (by Singspiel), winner of the Group 1 Fillies' Mile at Ascot and of the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes over 10 furlongs at Hollywood Park.

A half-sister to the twice-raced stakes-placed Irish sprint winner May Meeting (by Diktat), Hibaayeb is out of Lady Zonda (by Lion Cavern), a dual winning half-sister to two stakes-placed horses and out of the stakes-placed Zonda (by Fabulous Dancer).

One of her winning siblings is the dam of two stakes-placed runners and grandam of the pattern-placed dual stakes winner Pelerin (by Shamardal), and one of her unraced siblings is the dam of the pattern-winning sprinter Arnold Lane (by Footstepsinthesand), but these are the highlights of the first four generations of the pedigree.

That might sound as though Wuheida and her top-class dam are the best that the family has produced but, instead, they are reviving the strength of what was a famous classic family.

Zonda was the only winner among three foals out of Oh So Hot (by Habitat), the unraced fourth dam of Wuheida, but that older mare was a full-sister to Our Home and Roussalka and a half-sister to the outstanding Oh So Sharp (by Kris).

Our Home was not a stakes winner, but she was runner-up to the tragically ill-fated Quick As Lightning in the Group 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and also placed in the Group 2 Coronation Stakes, Group 3 Child Stakes (now Falmouth Stakes), Group 3 Cherry Hinton Stakes and Group 3 Musidora Stakes.

Roussalka's seven wins featured the Group 2 Coronation Stakes, Group 3 Cherry Hinton Stakes and two editions of the Group 2 Nassau Stakes, and her descendants include the Group 1 1000 Guineas heroine Ameerat (by Mark of Esteem) and the gelding Collier Hill (by Dr Devious), winner of the Group 1 Irish St Leger, Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes and Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase.

Oh So Sharp, of course, won the Fillies' Triple Crown in England 1985 – the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger – a treble that had not been achieved since Meld 30 years before.

She won the Solario Stakes and the Group 3 Fillies' Mile at two, lost her unbeaten record when going down by a neck to Petoski in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and was also a runner-up to Commanche Run in the Group 1 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (now Juddmonte International Stakes) at York.

Oh So Sharp, who Timeform rated 131, became the dam of the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Rosefinch (by Blushing Groom) and of Grade 2 Long Island Handicap scorer Shaima (by Shareef Dancer), and the latter is the dam of the Group 1 St Leger and Group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club e Coppa d'Oro star Shantou (by Alleged).

These celebrities are distantly related to leading Guineas and Oaks contender Wuheida, but this rising star, the daughter of multiple Group 1 winners Dubawi and Hibaayeb, is bred to achieve anything, and it will be disappointing if today's win remains her only one at the highest level.

The distance of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes was increased from six furlongs to seven furlongs in 1992 and, since then, its roll of honour includes an array of stars.

Leading miler Sayyedati won it that year and Tarascon (1997), Again (2008), Misty For Me (2010), Sky Lantern (2012) and Minding (2015) have joined her on the list of subsequent classic heroines.

Group 1 Coronation Stakes scorer Rizeena won it in 2013, the 1993 winner Lemon Souffle went on to take the Group 2 Falmouth Stakes, a race that carries Group 1 status nowadays, and each of Quarter Moon (2001), Saoirse Abu (2007) and Maybe (2011) went on to be placed in at least one classic after their Curragh juvenile success.

Time will tell if Intricately can add her name to that notable collection of top fillies, or if she will join those for whom the race remained a career highlight, but with her pedigree and connections there is every reason to hope that she can take her place among the best of her class in 2017.

The story of Intricately's big win is one of almost fairytale quality, not that this makes an upward progression by the horse any more or less likely, but it was remarkable family success.

She is a first major winner for the 23-year-old former champion jockey and now rookie trainer Joseph O'Brien, she was ridden by his 18-year-old brother Donnacha, and she was bred by their mother, Annemarie, under the hugely successful name of Whisperview Trading Ltd. And, for good measure, the filly she short-headed was Hydrangea, trained their father, Aidan.

Intricately, who carries the well-known colours of Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, sprang a 33/1 surprise in a Gowran Park maiden in mid-June, beating Sir Edwin Landseer by one and a quarter lengths on ground described as yielding-to-soft.

A month later she finished third in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes on fast ground at Leopardstown, beaten one and a quarter lengths and a nose by Promise To Be True and Take A Deep Breath, and then finished that same distance behind Hydrangea when the pair were second and third to Rhododendron in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes at the Curragh in August.

All of her races have been over seven furlongs, she is very closely related to a famous miler, but is by Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock (by Danehill) and out of a Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) mare, which would suggest that she may have prospects of staying 10 furlongs, and possibly the Oaks distance.

Fastnet Rock shuttles to Coolmore Stud, his eldest European offspring are five years old, and those northern hemisphere-born runners include the Group 1 stars Diamondsandrubies, Fascinating Rock and Qualify as well as Group 2 scorers Cougar Mountain, One Foot In Heaven, Rivet and Turret Rocks.

His overall career tally of 97 individual stakes winners includes 24 who have won at least once at the highest level, and although he was a champion sprinter, he has sired many who excel at anywhere from a mile to 12 furlongs, including classic stars in England, Australia and in New Zealand.

Intricately is the first foal out of Inner Realm (by Galileo), a mare whose racing career consisted of a pair of unplaced finishes in late-season 10-furlong maidens as a three-year-old, one on heavy ground at the Curragh and the other on soft ground at Navan. She has no yearling, she was bred to Holy Roman Emperor (by Danehill) in 2015, and she is related to two famous individuals.

Inner Realm was the final foal of Offshore Boom (by Be My Guest), produced when the mare was 23 years old and after a gap of three years. She was a June 30th foal, so it's no surprise that her career started much later than that of her daughter.

Her eight successful siblings include the prolific Turkish scorer D'Articleshore (by Definite Article) and the pattern-placed Nell Gwyn (by Danehill), but all of their achievements are dwarfed by those of their star brother, Rock of Gibraltar (by Danehill), who the O'Briens also bred.

A star juvenile who won the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, Group 1 Grand Criterium, Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes and Group 3 Railway Stakes, Rock of Gibraltar extended his run of consecutive Group 1 wins to seven before losing out by three-parts of a length to Domedriver in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington on his final start.

He beat Hawk Wing in the 2000 Guineas, added the Irish 2000 Guineas, the St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. The one who chased him home at Ascot was the ill-fated classic winner and Grade 1 star Landseer, Noverre was the runner-up at Goodwood, and he beat Banks Hill by half a length in France.

Now aged 17, Rock of Gibraltar is a leading member of the stallion team at Coolmore Stud, he has shuttled to Australia and to Chile, he did one season in Japan, and his tally of 113 stakes winners includes 14 who have won at least once at the highest level.

They include Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Samitar, Coral Eclipse Stakes scorer and successful sire Mount Nelson, star sprinter Society Rock (first yearlings in 2016) and the classic-placed Group/Grade 1 winners Eagle Mountain and Prince Gibraltar.

They also include a trio of Chilean-bred horses who, in the past two months, have won at the highest level in their native land. The most recent is 10-furlong Grade 1 success of Brillo De Sol, whose big win came last Sunday, and the others are Admiral and Cascada Surena, who won their country's equivalent of the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas respectively on 31st July.

No stallion is guaranteed to become a sire of Group 1 winners, but just before Rock of Gibraltar's first foals were due to appear in the sales ring in November 2004 I wrote, in The Irish Field, that “it is hard to envisage him failing to make the grade” and that “he promises to make a considerable impact in his second career.”

The reasoning behind those remarks was that he was by a stallion who already had eight sons with at least one Group 1 winner to their names, his large first book included a string of Group 1-winning mares, Group 1 producers, and those who were related to top horses, and, in addition to all of this, he had the added attraction of being out of a half-sister to the classic and multiple Group 1 star Riverman (by Never Bend), a hugely influential sire.

Riverman won the Prix Yacowlef at two, he added the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), the Prix Jean Prat and the Prix d'Ispahan, finished third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and then rounded off his career with an honourable second in the Champion Stakes, again beaten by the Timeform 144-rated great Brigadier Gerard.

Timeform rated Riverman 131 and had Rock of Gibraltar on 133. In terms of stallion figures, Riverman still leads his younger relation, and although his career total of 22 Group/Grade 1 winners will take a bit of catching, it seems likely that Coolmore's horse will beat Riverman's tally of 125 individual stakes winners before too long.

So, how far beyond a mile might Intricately stay in 2017?

Riverman was Group 1-placed at the trip, Rock of Gibraltar was never asked to go beyond a mile, and both have sired sprinters, milers, middle-distance horses and some who stay farther. Offshore Boom got her blacktype at two and the mare's unbeaten and stakes-winning half-sister Outside Pressure (by Shernazar) got both her wins over 10 furlongs.

Offenbach (by Danehill), out of a Shirley Heights (by Mill Reef) half-sister to Offshore Boom, got his Australian Group 3 success over 10 and a half furlongs, and Deploy Venture (by Deploy) – out of another of her siblings, Tasseled (by Tate Gallery) – won a 12-furlong handicap and finished fifth in the Ebor (14 furlongs) before becoming a Grade 1-placed Grade 3 scorer in the United States.

If Intricately has inherited something of the speed of her sire and dam's pedigrees then she may find 10 furlongs to be at or beyond the boundary of her ideal range. But if she has got the middle-distance factor from either side of the family, then her prospects of getting the Oaks trip are promising.

Her official handicap mark rose from 104 to 110 after her Group 1 success, and although that is some way short of what would be required to win at the highest level next year, hers is a pedigree that suggests improvement from two to three is likely.

It will be fascinating to see how her racing career turns out, and with her relationship to Rock of Gibraltar and Riverman, she could have a very bright future ahead of her at stud in the 2020s.