BY way of contrast with the Oaks and the Derby, the Coronation Cup at Epsom was run slow early and fast late.

The opening section of the race was almost seven seconds slower than either classic, and it was only approaching the home straight that Postponed’s pacemaker, Roseburg, took off again.

Whether it was a cunning plan or not, Postponed thrived in such a scenario, blasting through the last three and a half furlongs quicker than did useful sprinters later on.

Even very good horses - as Postponed clearly is - cannot run good overall times in such inefficient ways, and his timefigure comes out at a measly 69: Found, who was set a lot to do but never looked like troubling him, gets a 59. What the race does tell us is that Postponed - who at one time seemed a bit one-paced - has more than enough speed these days to make his mark at the top level at around 10 furlongs.

That sort of distance is, of course, the one at which the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly is run these days, with the latest winner, Almanzor, something of a surprise one. This was another race at a less-than-true pace, and the winner gets a provisional timefigure of 112, though sectional analysis suggests all the first three did quite well to come from mid to rear.

Perhaps the most significant message to be taken from the result is that the form of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Deauville is looking pretty good: Dicton finished third in that and a closer third in this, while Zarak went from fifth in the earlier race to runner-up in this. The clear-cut winner at Deauville had been, of course, The Gurkha.

By contrast, the form of the Dante Stakes at York is looking precarious. That race’s winner, Wings Of Desire, ran just respectably in fourth at Epsom, while Deauville and Foundation were beaten a long way there and at Chantilly respectively.