Revealed: what Godolphin's chief talent scout looks for at the breeze-up sales

Plenty has happened since last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, particularly for the colt who came under the hammer as Lot 56. The son of Oasis Dream fetched 210,000gns when offered by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm in the first of several hugely successful public appearances.

The horse in question is, of course, Native Trail, who joined the Godolphin squad having caught the expert eye of the operation's chief talent scout Anthony Stroud. He went into training with Charlie Appleby and remained unbeaten during a four-race campaign that took in a Sandown maiden, the Superlative Stakes and a brace of Group 1s, namely the National and Dewhurst Stakes.

His performance in Ireland was given an official rating of 122, which saw him crowned European champion two-year-old by clear water from seven rivals who tied for second place on a mark of 115.