Current state with latest updates

app/Observers/ArtworkFeatureObserver.php

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace App\Observers;
 
+use App\Jobs\GenerateFeaturedArtworkThumbnailsJob;
 use App\Models\Artwork;
 use App\Models\ArtworkFeature;
 use App\Services\HomepageService;
@@ -21,12 +22,14 @@ final class ArtworkFeatureObserver
     public function created(ArtworkFeature $feature): void
     {
         $this->homepage->clearFeaturedAndMedalCaches();
+        $this->queueFeaturedThumbnailRefresh($feature);
         $this->queueCreatorRebuild($feature);
     }
 
     public function updated(ArtworkFeature $feature): void
     {
         $this->homepage->clearFeaturedAndMedalCaches();
+        $this->queueFeaturedThumbnailRefresh($feature);
         $this->queueCreatorRebuild($feature);
     }
 
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ final class ArtworkFeatureObserver
     public function restored(ArtworkFeature $feature): void
     {
         $this->homepage->clearFeaturedAndMedalCaches();
+        $this->queueFeaturedThumbnailRefresh($feature);
         $this->queueCreatorRebuild($feature);
     }
 
@@ -48,6 +52,31 @@ final class ArtworkFeatureObserver
         $this->queueCreatorRebuild($feature);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Ensure the featured hero variants (and their DB-persisted existence state)
+     * are ready before the next homepage guest-cache warm cycle picks this
+     * artwork up as the hero winner, so the public request never has to check
+     * the remote disk itself.
+     */
+    private function queueFeaturedThumbnailRefresh(ArtworkFeature $feature): void
+    {
+        $artworkId = (int) $feature->artwork_id;
+
+        if ($artworkId <= 0) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $artwork = $feature->relationLoaded('artwork')
+            ? $feature->artwork
+            : Artwork::withTrashed()->find($artworkId);
+
+        if (! $artwork instanceof Artwork || empty($artwork->hash) || empty($artwork->file_ext)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        GenerateFeaturedArtworkThumbnailsJob::dispatch($artworkId);
+    }
+
     private function queueCreatorRebuild(ArtworkFeature $feature): void
     {
         $artwork = $feature->relationLoaded('artwork')