IT cannot be often that a win in a Group 3 catapults a horse into short-priced favouritism for a race like the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot or into third-favouritism (behind only Cracksman and Saxon Warrior) for a race like the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the same course, but Crystal Ocean’s victory in the Al Rayyan (Aston Park) Stakes at Newbury last Saturday was no ordinary one.

In particular, he smashed up the smart performers Second Step, Scarlet Dragon and Raheen House by six lengths and more, and was not hard-pushed to do it.

What Crystal Ocean did not do is run a fast overall time – a steady early pace ensured that – but I make his last half-mile a fraction quicker than Rhododendron’s at shorter later on the card.

His timefigure of 92 could have been improved upon to a substantial degree, though, as always, it is worth bearing in mind how different future tests may prove to be.

That comment also applies to Sea Of Class, who was quicker still in that final half-mile (44.85s by my reckoning) but who ran only a 65 timefigure overall in a comfortable success in the Listed Fillies’ Trial. Runner-up Athena is still a maiden after six starts.

I would bet that Sea Of Class will prove useful, but she is likely to have to be quite a bit better than that to win the Oaks – for which she is third-favourite at the time of writing – and I am happy to leave betting on her to do that to others.

There was a useful listed win by Never Back Down (109 timefigure) in the opening race of the Newbury card, though fourth-placed Eqtidaar would surely have finished a fair bit closer set less to do.

The win of the juvenile The Irish Rover came in just a conditions stakes, but it compared quite well to Never Back Down’s time, and a 105 timefigure has him in second place in his age-group at this early stage.

The listed win of Old Persian looks better than that of Purser on the clock at Newmarket, with timefigures of 108 and 85 respectively. Mountain Rescue (104) was another useful winning timefigure on the card.

Before moving on from the flat, a mention must be made of Sun Maiden, who was comfortably fastest of four winners at 10 furlongs at Salisbury on Thursday. The others were fairly useful at best, but Sun Maiden trotted up by 12 lengths and gets a highly respectable 97 timefigure which could be boosted a further four on account of sectionals.

FRANCE

There were mixed fortunes for the Irish and British raiders over jumps at Auteuil on Sunday, with no winners and a few disappointments. But the Willie Mullins-trained Bapaume ran a cracker to be second to De Bon Coeur over more than three miles in the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil, a race in which Yorkhill and L’Ami Serge were unplaced and Killultagh Vic was pulled up.

De Bon Coeur is about as good as it gets over hurdles in France at present (rated 164 by Timeform) and Bapaume (152 with Timeform) probably ran a personal best despite being beaten 16 lengths.