THERE were plenty of exciting performances from the winners across the week at Royal Ascot, so we thought we’d highlight a horse that is still worth keeping on side despite folding under pressure, writes Page Fuller.

Cinderella’s Dream went off a warm favourite for the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, so many will have been disappointed as Crimson Advocate came swooping down the outside.

Visually it looked like Cinderella’s Dream was done for speed by the winner, but the sectionals tell us a different story.

Cinderella’s Dream took 2.96 seconds to reach 20 mph, which was the slowest of the field and more than half a second slower than Crimson Advocate. This put her immediately on the back foot, and she never looked comfortable from that point. William Buick eventually managed to stoke a response for her, and she was actually the fastest horse of the race, hitting 40.46 mph in the penultimate furlong.

Unfortunately, that effort was short lived though, and she tied up near the line. Crimson Advocate, on the other hand, was only just getting going and hit her top speed of 39.43 mph in the final furlong.

This is where the sectionals really illustrate the story, though, because despite there only being 0.1 seconds between them through the penultimate furlong, Crimson Advocate completed the final furlong 0.38 seconds quicker than Cinderella’s Dream. This was a furlong shorter than when Cinderella’s Dream won impressively at Newmarket on her previous start, and that really took its toll. She will appreciate stepping back up in trip, where she can use that turn of foot a little later, and travel more comfortably early doors.