THERE was plenty of good supporting action across the four days of York’s Ebor Meeting, at which no race was worth less than £70,000 added and the Ebor on Saturday remained Europe’s most valuable handicap with £285,000 added.

Of the major two-year-old races, the Gimcrack Stakes won by Sands Of Mali with a 110 timefigure was a fair bit better on the clock than the Lowther Stakes won by Threading with a 98, though neither threatened the likes of Unfortunately (116) and Expert Eye (114) at the head of the juvenile pecking order.

The Lowther was 0.25s (nearly two lengths) slower than the valuable sales race won by Tangled (100) half an hour earlier, despite the leaders in the two races getting to halfway in identical time. This further suggests that those fillies are useful rather than better.

There were handy winning timefigures from the older horses Montaly (110) in the Lonsdale Cup and Mustashry (114) in the Strensall Stakes, but Talaayeb’s figure of 88 in emerging best in a bunched finish for the City of York Stakes was surprisingly slow and suggests the form may not be up to much.

The Ebor itself was only a little quicker than the Melrose Handicap for three-year-olds earlier on the Saturday card and comes out slightly worse – 102 for Nakeeta compared to 104 for Secret Advisor – once weight carried and age are allowed for.

GOODWOOD

There were also group races at Goodwood and Windsor over the weekend, with the Group 2 Celebration Mile on the former course the feature.

The race went to form, with evens favourite Lightning Spear beating the second-favourite and third-favourite Zonderland and Hathal, but a steady pace resulted in a poor 75 timefigure for the winner.

The two-year-old Billesdon Brook achieved the same average race speed, admittedly at a furlong shorter, when winning the Prestige Stakes with a 100 timefigure earlier on the card.

Dutch Connection found a fairly easy opportunity among several at seven/eight furlongs in the week when landing the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood on the Sunday, though with a timefigure of just 106.

Fabricate stepped out of handicap company to claim the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor, yet with a timefigure of 107 which suggests he is no certainty to make his mark in an even higher grade.

There was also a significant listed contest at Newmarket, where Gifted Master just got the better of Steady Pace and Intisaab, with all three posting 111 timefigures.

The time for this was 69.68s, which is strictly a course record as the start had been moved as part of British racing’s remeasurement process in May. It compares well with the previous best of 69.11s recorded by Lethal Force in winning the 2013 July Cup at two yards shorter.