TIME analysis requires context, of course, and one of the reasons it is possible to assess Too Darn Hot and Ten Sovereigns so precisely is that there were other times and sectionals on the Sandown and Curragh cards to assist.

Too Darn Hot was 1.68s (around 10 lengths) quicker than fellow two-year-old Barristan The Bold (94 timefigure) at the same distance 35 minutes later, while both those times compare well with others on the Sandown card.

Both colts produced better timefigures than the one recorded by Veracious (89) in a steadily-run Atalanta Stakes, while Global Applause (107) and Dubai Horizon (98) managed useful figures at different distances.

Ten Sovereigns was 0.34s quicker than the useful three-year-old Urban Beat (84 timefigure), though the leaders overdid things in the latter race.

Kenya (111) ran the best overall time on the Curragh card in winning the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire by a clear margin, 1.63s quicker than Just Wonderful (98) and 2.49s quicker than Sydney Opera House (90) at the same distance earlier.

Those last-two-named are both two-year-olds, however, and Just Wonderful goes up to 106 on sectionals (she showed a smart turn of foot to come from behind in the Group 3 Flame of Tara Stakes), while Sydney Opera House gets boosted to 94 in the maiden.

The Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes was a particularly muddling affair, with always-prominent I’m So Fancy credited with just an 81 winning timefigure overall.

Conditions also seemed quicker than reported at Chester, where Duretto ran a 108 timefigure in winning the listed staying race and Oh This Is Us (107) and Bossipop (92) both broke track records with the rails on the innermost line.

Take Cover had been chasing shadows, including Battaash’s at Goodwood, on his last two runs but made the most of a drop in class to win a listed contest at Beverley from a wide draw with a 110 timefigure.

Friday’s card at the Curragh produced little of note, with Cardini (97) in the premier nursery the pick of the winning timefigures.

Thursday’s card at Tipperary featured a Group 3 – the Coolmore Stud Fairy Bridge Stakes – and a listed race, with the former going to British raider One Master (100 timefigure) in easily the fastest of four times at the extended seven furlongs.

Blue Uluru got the better of Hit The Bid (likely to be better for a five-month break) in the latter, recording an 103 timefigure.