THE win of War Decree - a pretty good Guineas candidate, in my opinion - in the Vintage Stakes was dealt with in last week’s copy.

Fellow two-year-olds Mehmas and Yalta are more sprinting types but are right up there with the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt in terms of ability.

Mehmas made it four wins from six starts with a typically gutsy display in the Richmond Stakes, seeing off the odds-on Blue Point by a neck while conceding him 3lb.

Mehmas’ timefigure of 107 compares well enough with his best of 109, while his win again paid a compliment to Caravaggio, who had put him in his place in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

There were no clear excuses regarding the run of the race for Blue Point on the day, but he lacked the winner’s streetwise experience, and it showed. It will be a surprise if Blue Point fails to win a good race this campaign.

Yalta had finished well behind both Mehmas at Newmarket and Caravaggio at Royal Ascot but proved a different proposition dropped to five furlongs in the Molecomb Stakes, breaking the juvenile course record in a time of 57.14 seconds.

That translates to a timefigure of 108 and a position in seventh among two-year-olds to have run in Britain and Ireland so far this term (Lady Aurelia remains well clear on 127).

Track bias did not have a significant bearing on the outcome of either of those straight-course races but might well have done with the two big sprint handicaps on the Saturday of Goodwood.

Dancing Star was faster in winning the Stewards’ Cup than Hoof It had been in winning the consolation race, as you might expect, but both events saw lower-drawn horses hold sway.

The customary thing to do in these instances is to establish the median lengths beaten in each group and then reframe the result accordingly.

The difference was just over two lengths in favour of those who raced far side in the Stewards’ Cup (and even more in the consolation race), which suggests that Raucous and Growl - drawn 20 and 26 respectively, and third and fourth at the finish - were best.

Dancing Star’s 112 timefigure shows she is smart and worth her chance in a higher grade (remembering that she will also get a sex allowance), but that track-bias information tempers enthusiasm slightly, and a group win does not seem quite the formality a few have suggested it will be.