GOOD overall time performances were rather scarce on the flat in the last week, but that’s not to say there were no promising efforts. Sectionals helped to identify some of them.

The best timefigure was recorded by Ibn Malik (114) in winning the European Free Handicap at Newmarket, despite the strapping son of Raven’s Pass going freely. Kelinni (109) was next in with a from-the-front success in a Conditions Stakes at Thirsk.

Significant sectionals were recorded by, among others: Mulk (36.22s last 3f), Dream Of Dreams (34.96s), Thikriyaat (35.97s), Flaming Spear (40.70s, having gone too fast too soon) and Kubali, the first four at Newmarket and the last-named at Dundalk.

The Kevin Ryan-trained Dream Of Dreams was very green early yet all but caught Sutter County (who was conceding 6lb) in a Novice Stakes on the second day of the Craven meeting.

He still recorded a timefigure of 94 and looks as good a prospect as has been seen out so far among the two-year-olds.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Thikriyaat posted a 97 timefigure in winning a Conditions Stakes on the first day but should have been more inconvenienced by the run of the race than his rivals, and his sectionals point to him being a listed performer in the making at the least.

COMPENSATION

The Ger Lyons-trained Kubali got into a slowly-run race against more experienced rivals at Dundalk on Friday night but still finished strongly to be beaten only a neck by The Tulip, in the process becoming the only horse to break 33.0s at the course this year at a distance further than five furlongs. Compensation awaits.

Navan’s Sunday Meeting featured two listed races, but neither produced a good time. Pretty Perfect (51 timefigure) ran slower than did fellow three-year-old Spader in winning a handicap shortly after, while Lily’s Rainbow (94) was only a little faster than the other two races at a mile on the card.

In relative terms, the time performance of the Aidan O’Brien-trained The Gurkha in winning a maiden by wide margins was much more taking. The Gurkha had finished third on his debut in a hot time race won by Claudio Monteverdi at Leopardstown and recorded a 101 figure here, being younger and carrying more weight than Lily’s Rainbow had over the same distance yet running only fractionally slower.

The odds-on favourite in The Gurkha’s race, Aasheq, ran too badly to be true in fifth, but supporters of US Army Ranger, who had beaten that one by just three-quarters of a length on the pair’s debut, must have hoped for much more.

This column has not been averse to putting up the odd long-range ante-post recommendation, but none of the British classics looks inviting at this stage.

The picture for the Derby, in particular, looks sure to become clearer in the weeks to come.