THERE had been signs it might be coming, notably in the Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp in May, but the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes finally and indisputably announced Mecca’s Angel’s arrival in the big time of sprinting, not just in 2015 but over a longer timescale.

An authoritative defeat of a very fast and notably well-treated two-year-old in Acapulco, as well as a host of older Group winners, was backed up by the time performance of the season so far. Mecca’s Angel’s 57.24s for the five furlongs was the fourth-fastest in the race at York this century.

Even after allowing for a tailwind and the likelihood that the ground was not quite as soft as claimed officially, that is a serious display of speed. In the all-important relative terms of a Timeform timefigure, it comes out at 129, which ousts Golden Horn’s Derby win (127) from top spot in Britain and Ireland this year. Nothing during the week got near it.

How much more we will see of the Michael Dods-trained filly is open to doubt. She has been pulled out of a number of engagements this year due to concerns about the ground and patently did not run to her best when second on good to firm at the Curragh in July.

But it is difficult to see her getting beaten at five furlongs with a bit of give in the ground, with the Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc Day the obvious target. Any juvenile taking her on there would be doing so on terms 6 lb worse than in the Nunthorpe.

In historical terms, Mecca’s Angel now deserves to be mentioned in exalted company. The 1983 Nunthorpe winner Habibti and the outstanding Australian mare Black Caviar lead the way among sprinting females on Timeform’s ratings on 136. Mecca’s Angel is in joint-sixth (with 1993 Nunthorpe winner Lochsong) in that division.

Heady stuff, but the evidence of the clock is compelling in this instance.