LAST week’s column missed out on the final day of Newmarket’s Craven Meeting, when the times were noticeably slower than on the first two days, suggesting borderline good/good to soft going following further watering.

The top performance came from Zabeel Prince, winner of the Earl of Sefton Stakes in emphatic style with a 114 timefigure upgraded to 117 on the back of a 36.6s last-three-furlong sectional.

Useful figures were also returned by the winners Far Above (heavily backed for his debut in the opening maiden, 94), Well Of Wisdom (winner of a strong two-year-old novice, 99), Fox Champion (96), Beringer (103), Mubtasim (100) and Ornate (98).

There were decent Good Friday meetings, to go along with Lingfield’s, at Bath and Newcastle, with Queen Of Desire returning a rather disappointing 84 timefigure in winning a fillies’/mares’ listed race on already firm ground at Bath.

The recent Doncaster winner Petrus followed up at the same course with a 95 timefigure, and the three-year-old Living Legend trumped them both with a 100 timefigure for winning what looks an especially warm 12-furlong handicap from highly-weighted Pablo Escobarr (107).

Fox Power (100) and Bartholomew Dias (102) were the best winners on time at Newcastle, but Global Warning (92) was also significant in that his was yet another handicap victory for three-year-olds against their elders when such things are usually a rarity at this stage of the season.

HANDICAPS

Musselburgh had its time in the spotlight on Saturday, when Austrian School (111) and Three Saints Bay (109) were clear-cut winners of apparently competitive handicaps, with the former in particular looking like one who could be making his mark in better company before long.

Mehdaayih won only a two-runner affair at Chelmsford on Thursday, but she did it by 14 lengths, and time analysis suggests it amounted to plenty, 0.75s faster than the well-run older-horse handicap earlier on the card.

I have a 109 timefigure on the John Gosden-trained daughter of Frankel who is improving hand over fist.

There was quite a bit of social media excitement regarding the easy win at Longchamp on Monday of the Aga Khan’s three-year-old filly Siyarafina, now unbeaten in two. But her time was nothing special (slower than following race) and she will have to run a lot faster than this 93 timefigure if she is to justify some of the bigger plans spoken of for her.

Much more impressive on the clock was Tour To Paris, who broke 1m 20.0s for a short seven furlongs later on the card, earning a 115 timefigure.

The ex-Hungarian colt is now unbeaten in nine races and up to going close in lesser group company judged on this.