IN racing, as in life, you don’t always get what you expect, let alone what you wish for.

The important thing is not to allow prior expectations and wishful thinking to blind you to a different reality.

Not many expected, or wished for, Muhaarar to win Newbury’s Greenham Stakes, but then not many will have anticipated whatever did win that race smashing the long-standing track record by the best part of a second.

The initial general response to the Greenham - in which Muhaarar beat the rallying Estidhkaar by a neck, with lengthy gaps back to the rest - was rather underwhelming, but the initial response is not always right, and this looks to be one of those cases.

Track records depend on a number of circumstances, not least ground and conditions that are conducive to fast times.

The ground and following wind at Newbury last Saturday were indeed conducive to fast times, but Muhaarar’s performance stands out as high-class even after that has been allowed for.

For example, it was 1.33s (over eight lengths given prevailing speeds) quicker than that recorded by Redstart in the fillies’ classic trial, the Fred Darling.

The Timeform timefigure for Muhaarar is 121 - up to winning or going very close in Group 1 company - while that for Redstart is just 96.

Sectionals show that the Fred Darling was slightly tactical but that Muhaarar and Estidhkaar deserve some extra credit given the run of their race, too.

Given that Muhaarar seems likely to go to France, the odds about Estidhkaar for the 2000 Guineas look generous, even after they have shortened since. He now has better form in the book than the Guineas favourite Gleneagles for a start.

The Fred Darling Stakes probably did not contain a 1000 Guineas winner, but if it did it seems likeliest to be the runner-up Jellicle Ball, who lacked experience and was a bit further back than ideal before knuckling down well.

She ran the fastest last three furlongs at Kempton by a two-year-old in a long time when successful on her only previous start and still has potential at a mile or more.