THE final week of May was a mixed one for time and sectional enthusiasts. The abject defeat of Tryster in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown was not what was hoped for from this quarter, for a start!

It seems as if the Godolphin horse, so impressive with a lightning-fast closing two furlongs on All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield in April, is nowhere near as effective on turf.

There was, however, no small irony in some stating that this showed how worthless both all-weather and sectionals were, given that the winner, Western Hymn, shot to prominence with a blistering closing split on an artificial surface at Kempton on his debut.

Western Hymn has since gone on to win four times in group company, but, in time terms, his Brigadier Gerard win was not one of his most impressive efforts. His overall time was only 0.16s faster than recorded by a 72-rated handicapper in the opener. That Western Hymn ran nearly three seconds quicker than that handicapper from the turn does not entirely get him off the hook.