STEPPER Point led home a one-two for British-trained sprinters in the Invincible Spirit Sapphire Stakes earlier on the Oaks card, though his overall time was nothing special (timefigure of 97). He beat the odds-on Mecca’s Angel fair and square on the face of it and sectionals even imply that he deserves marking up further for forcing a strong pace.

However, Mecca’s Angel looked none too comfortable on the good to firm going (had been pulled out of races under similar conditions previously), changing her legs a few times and running below her best by Timeform’s reckoning. The Michael Dods-trained filly - so impressive in victory at Longchamp the time before - should have another prize like this in her at the minimum trip, ground allowing.

The big two-year-old race of the weekend was the Anglesey Stakes earlier on the Saturday card. Final Frontier got the job done at odds-on, but only just, and runner-up Miss Katie Mae might have been a shade unlucky. That, combined with a distinctly underwhelming 84 timefigure, suggests the winner will have to run quite a bit faster to maintain his unbeaten record with stiffer tasks likely to be around the corner.

SUNDAY’S GOING

Rain materialised after Saturday’s card, leading to Sunday’s going being as much as 35lb slower judged on times. Home Of The Brave’s victory in the Minstrel Stakes was assisted by a sizeable weight allowance from runner-up Gordon Lord Byron, as well as by getting an untroubled run of things up front. However, Home Of The Brave’s overall time was still decent - resulting in a 110 timefigure - and he is probably the best of these anyway on these terms.

The same is not so easily said of Wedding Vow, winner of the Kilboy Estate Stakes. This was a falsely-run race which turned into something of a sprint (the finishing speed % was a lot quicker than par and the timefigure a mere 83), and the winner did well in that respect in coming from a few lengths back. But runner-up Brooch seemed below her reappearance form again and all in all this is probably best viewed with suspicion by Group 2 standards.