IN most weeks, the introductions to this column pick themselves – a major race and/or a major time performance is the obvious place to start – but that is not the case in this instance. In a quiet week between Epsom and Royal Ascot, the biggest races in Britain and Ireland were Group 3s and the fastest timefigure was a 113 which comes in at 39th in Britain and Ireland this season so far.

The horse who posted that figure was the evergreen Brendan Brackan in the Listed Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown last Thursday, where he managed to run the mile in a time 3.40s quicker than the dead-heating winners in an admittedly ordinary handicap later on the card.