IT came via a rather circuitous route, starting with unplaced efforts in the 1000 Guineas and the Commonwealth Cup (in which the draw did her no favours), but it can now be said for sure that Millisle is back to the level of her Cheveley Park Stakes win as a two-year-old.

She found 116-rated Art Power too good for her at Naas early in July but returned to that track to win the Yeomanstown Stud Ballyogan Stakes last week in exemplary fashion under a penalty and is now back on a rating of 115 with me. She is well worth another try at Group 2 or Group 1 level with a sex allowance on her side.

Millisle’s figure is in advance of the 107 recorded by Bolleville in winning a listed race at Leopardstown the following day, but the latter was far from exposed in France and this was her first start for Joseph O’Brien, so further improvement is by no means out of the question.

Kastasa made it five in a row in a listed race under a penalty at Gowran Park on Saturday without quite needing to be at her best in a rather messy race, running to 101 compared to her previous best of 105.

Nicest’s performance

Other notable winning performances in Ireland last week came in a fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown from Nicest – who was much better on her late splits (24.35s last two furlongs for 110.3% finishing speed) than the bare result and gets a 91 sectional rating on which she should build – and fellow two-year-olds Coill Avon and Thunder Beauty at the Curragh.

The last two ran similar overall times for six furlongs, and in remarkably similar fashion, too, worth sectional figures of 92 and 91 respectively. Magna Grecia’s half-brother by Siyouni, St Mark’s Basilica (91), shaped with abundant promise on his debut behind the former.

The biggest race in Britain outside the main event at Ascot was the Sky Bet York Stakes, which provided a bit of a turn-up with Aspetar comfortably best. The overall time for this was disappointing compared to Award Scheme’s handicap win shortly before (though that one is now rated 101 and could be pretty good), and a figure of 115 on Aspetar reflects that. Some big names let themselves down here.

That was also the case in the Group 3 Fillies’ Stakes at Ascot on Sunday, but little should be taken away from the 12/1 winner Lady Bowthorpe even so, for she showed a rare turn of foot to come from last to first (23.97s for last two furlongs) and can be rated 112.

The Princess Margaret Stakes later on the Ascot card was more straightforward, going to the form filly in Santosha in a well-run race and with a 102 sectional rating.

Santosha had finished just behind Fev Rover (the pair close behind Dandalla) in the Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket and Fev Rover had already done her bit for the form by landing a listed race at Sandown earlier in the week (101 sectional rating).

Other listed wins went the way of Dark Vision at Pontefract (looked a shade fortunate to beat Beringer, both running to 104), Chindit at Ascot (a healthy 103 figure) and Franconia at York, the last-named overcoming a messy affair to run to 106 once sectionals have been factored in.

Blue Mist (105) and Tsar (103) were useful handicap winners at Ascot, while a note needs to be made of the one-two in the two-year-old fillies’ novice at the same track, Zabeel Queen and Snow Lantern, well-bred individuals who ran fast overall and especially late on, and whose 99 and 97 figures respectively suggest they will be seen in much bigger races before the season is out.

That may prove to be the case with a couple of three million guinea-plus yearling colts in Darain and Dhahabi someday, but neither was overwhelmingly impressive in winning at Newmarket last week, running to 91 and 88 respectively.