ROYAL ASCOT THURSDAY

IT is fitting that the longest day of the year coincided with the longest group race in the calendar and one of the longest-running group races, too.

This year’s Gold Cup was a belter, both in terms of anticipation and in terms of realisation. But what it did not do is produce an overall time performance of note, with Stradivarius (103) coming out on top in a quick finish, ahead of the older horse trio of Vazirabad (99), Torcedor (99) and Order Of St George (96).

Stradivarius had a 120 figure to his name in a strongly run Yorkshire Cup the time before and there is no doubt he is a high-class stayer, though the run of this race possibly played more to his strengths than to others.

FORM PICK

The best timefigure on the middle day of Royal Ascot came, somewhat unexpectedly, in the Hampton Court Stakes, in which the form pick Hunting Horn took another step forward on his first attempt on ground firmer than good and won by four and a half lengths.

His timefigure of 119 has him snapping at the heels of the likes of the first three in the Derby at Epsom, with that race’s winner Masar on 123. It was possible to get a good comparison between the Ribblesdale Stakes, won by Magic Wand, and the King George V Handicap, both run at just short of 12 furlongs and for three-year-olds. The latter was 0.16s faster, but the winner, Baghdad, carried 2lbs less than the fillies so both come out with timefigures of 106.

The idea of horses being “yardsticks” and conveniently (for handicappers among others) running to the same assessment time after time is massively over-rated, but it has to be said that Wild Illusion is proving most consistent.

She was beaten two and three-quarter lengths by Billesdon Brook in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, four and a half lengths by Forever Together in the Oaks at Epsom, and came off four lengths worse with Magic Wand here.

Forever Together probably still deserves to be regarded as the best of the 12-furlong three-year-old fillies, but only just, and it does not look a strong division so far.

GROUP HORSE

Ostilio was an all-the-way winner of the Britannia Stakes Handicap with a timefigure of 99. If there was a group performer in the making here (as there sometimes is) it is not immediately apparent which horse it might be.

There was a bunched finish for the Norfolk Stakes over the minimum trip but this looks one of the better two-year-old races of the week on the clock.

US filly Shang Shang Shang just held on to record a 103 timefigure with the colts Pocket Dynamo (106) and Land Force (104) filling the places. The last named might have been a shade unlucky having raced away from the pace.