Last Sunday’s 1,400m Griffin Trophy is a race which has highlighted the future prospects of some decent horses in the past and this year’s edition won’t be any different.

Luger won the race in 2013, with Domineer behind him, and last year Strathmore and Dashing Fellow raced well in it in defeat behind Line Seeker and Sky Hero, both talented horses which have had health issues since.

This year’s winner, People’s Knight was on everyone’s list of horses to follow at the start of the season and isn’t letting anyone down so far. He looks a superior horse to Dashing Fellow at the same stage and Dashing Fellow has gone on to win in Class One already so People’s Knight should be right up to the better ones of his own age as time goes on.

Behind him, the next few home all have a future, with the run of General Of Patch standing out and Paul O’Sullivan looks to have a fair bit to work with in terms of racecraft and suitability.

He was terribly green last season, has improved his manners this campaign but jockey Zac Purton still described him as having a long way to go after he did win a Class Four in November. General Of Patch turns four tomorrow and looks unlikely to make the better four-year-old races this season, but, as a horse who looks like he will stay a bit there is some upside to him as he has never been beyond 1,400m yet.

Caught wide in Sunday’s race, he had every right to drop out of the finish but missed second by less than half a length in a brave effort.

Another Purton mount with a flashing light on him at the moment is Entrusting, who added another minor placing to his record behind Gold Talent.

He has now run well on the dirt, at Happy Valley and at Sha Tin on the turf, so trainer Benno Yung Tin-pang should soon find him a winning option for the gelding and it won’t surprise if he can put a couple together when he does break through.