POST-Royal Ascot and pre-Derby was a quiet period in Britain as far as group racing is concerned, with just a trio of Group 3s on the table, but there were quite a few performances of note all the same.

Best of them on the clock was the win of Limato at Newmarket in the Group 3 Betway Criterion Stakes, a race in which Mubtasim went off far too fast and teed things up perfectly for the Henry Candy-trained veteran.

Limato’s overall time was much quicker than those of the other two seven-furlong winners, as well as the other races on the card in relative terms, and is worth a 118 figure (near-ideal 100.9% finishing speed, so no sectional upgrade). He remains high-class when conditions are like this.

Another fast time on the card was achieved in the 10-furlong listed race by Volkan Star, an expensive yearling purchase who is beginning to live up to his good looks and impressive stride, and who could yet turn into a leading St Leger contender with a 109 rating after this.

The listed races at Newmarket on Sunday went to Universal Order and to Time Scale, though neither in an especially good overall time, raised to 106 and 99 respectively on sectionals.

Time Scale is the fifth-highest-rated two-year-old filly seen so far and will presumably be facing stronger opposition than this hereafter.

Newcastle’s big race day on Saturday played to empty stands but some fairly full fields. Caravan Of Hope (94) emerged triumphant in the 18-runner Betfair Northumberland Plate.

Group winners

There were successes at Group 3 level for Judicial (poor time/splits for a race run in a downpour, but remains on 112) and Nkosikazi (102 on splits in a slowly run race), as well as for the flying 11-year-old Caspian Prince (104) in the Gosforth Park Handicap.

Make a note also of the opening novice winner Tilsit, who scored by a remarkable 19 lengths: he should improve on his 94 figure here.

Windsor got in on the action with some good racing on Sunday, the listed events falling to Repartee (101 in a well-run race) and Pogo, the latter running only 92 overall but 112 after sectionals, and not quite as good as a his wide-margin win might make him look.

The Derby was deemed to be too soon for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Highest Ground, but he has the ability to make an impact at that sort of level or a bit below judged on his highly impressive win in a novice at Haydock by two and a half lengths from Waldkonig, with a 34.45s last three furlongs pushing up a basic 93 figure to 110 after sectional upgrading.

The runner-up has come up short in a listed race and now this, but both were much stronger than anticipated, and his 106 sectional rating at two years (101 here) is still something he can build on.