Not the fastest away, Rule’s Pride was less headstong than he’s been in the past, settling relatively well as the field drifted towards the far rail. He then ran in snatches and seemed to hang a little, holding his head at an awkward angle, while nonetheless maintaining forward momentum. Never in a position to challenge, he ran on past mid-division, and briefly looked as if he might pick up a minor placing. But his run petered out as, up ahead, the leader threw away a winning chance by swerving violently one way and then the other. In the end, better-positioned runners than Ruler’s Pride fought it out. He finished in a line with two others behind the first half-dozen: eighth.

A ready winner on his debut; pitched in at the deep end when finding it all a bit too much in the G2 Coventry at Royal Ascot, running like a horse who’d prefer 5f not six; then failing to get into it when again racing in Group company over Goodwood’s downhill 5f. That’s the Ruler’s Pride story, so far. Here he is, again at a major festival, down in grade… and back up in trip to 6f, in the hope that he’s a little wiser and worldlier this time, and ready to put his best foot forward. Trainer Karl Burke has not lost faith.