FASTEST timefigure of the week under review came at Ascot, not in the Champion or Queen Elizabeth II, but in the Champions Sprint, which was less classy but run at an even pace from start to finish.

The race went to The Tin Man with a timefigure of 122, which is joint-10th-fastest by an older horse in Britain and Ireland this year, though still behind Mecca’s Angel (129), Limato (126) and Profitable (125) among sprinters.

Mecca’s Angel contested this race but ran poorly, beaten too far to blame a possible stand-side disadvantage and beaten too far out to blame the sixth furlong alone.

It is difficult, however, to think that an on-form Limato would have done other than have won readily. But he was withdrawn because connections thought the ground would be too soft for him.

Leaving aside for now the fact that one of Limato’s best-ever performances came when winning the 2015 Park Stakes at Doncaster on ground that was slower than good, times at Ascot last Saturday indicated that conditions were quite quick.

In addition, the going-stick reading on the straight course was faster than on any occasion at the course this year bar the King George meeting in July.

The Tin Man ran the six furlongs in 72.15s, which is comfortably the fastest for this race as a part of British Champions Day. He is a good sprinter, but not a great one, and that applies to the handful of horses (including ex-handicappers) who finished quite close behind him here.

The ground was almost certainly good to firm.

Still, at least Limato should turn up for the Breeders’ Cup a fresher horse than would otherwise have been the case.