The unwanted youngster who grew up to become a Classic legend

A Classic contender, at least until such time as he becomes a Classic also-ran, can usually rely on a steady stream of admirers keen to form an association that may lead to a reflected share of turf glory.

Trainers will surely be delighted to receive such a horse in their yard; jockeys may be expected to queue up for the ride; but Rodrigo De Triano was nobody's favourite when he arrived on the scene, and if Group 1s were popularity contests, he would have been eliminated in the first round.

Staff at Peter Chapple-Hyam's yard saw the son of El Gran Senor as something of a booby prize in the annual raffle of allocation, and even when he had proven his worth as an unbeaten two-year-old champion in 1991, the only jockey that could be found to accompany him in his bid for greatness on the Rowley Mile was a 56-year-old grandfather with a chequered recent past.