THE fastest men and women of the world were plying their trade at the World Athletics Championships in London last weekend, and Goodwood could justifiably claim to have hosted the fastest equine performer around following a vintage edition of the King George Stakes a day or two before.

Soft-ground conditions at Goodwood ensured that no timing records were broken, or anything like it, but time is a relative concept, and in relative terms Battaash did something pretty extraordinary in winning the King George with ease by two and a quarter lengths from the 2016 King’s Stand winner Profitable.