EXPERT Eye’s time looks particularly impressive when compared with that of the seven-year-old Breton Rock in winning the Qatar Lennox Stakes at the same distance 35 minutes later. The average difference between the two races in the previous five years had been 1.35s in favour of the older horse contest, but it was just 0.35s in this instance.

A slight word of caution is appropriate, however, for sectionals show that the Lennox was run at an overly strong pace, with Breton Rock coming late and fast from last place as those up front caved in.

Front-running Home Of The Brave ran 48.88s for the last four furlongs (more than 2.0s slower than Expert Eye had done) but still managed to hang on for second.

Breton Rock’s timefigure comes out at 102 (had run a 109 on his previous start) and it seems likely that he will struggle to back up this effort. Home Of The Brave, meanwhile, should be difficult to beat next time if able to set more sensible fractions.

GROUP PERFORMER

The time effort of Thechildren’strust, 100/1 winner of the maiden later on Tuesday, is just 77: if there was a group performer in the making in the field then it wasn’t obvious which one it was. El Astronaute (timefigure of 96) set near perfect fractions under Jason Hart to land a five-furlong handicap in which some others were a bit far back.

The two other handicaps at Goodwood on Tuesday resulted in unexceptional provisional timefigures of 92 for Dark Red (who was subsequently demoted) and 83 for Shenanigans.

The latter benefited from another strong pace, with runner-up Lincoln Rocks doing well having been closer to it than most.