THE first Grade 1 card of the winter is much anticipated but Down Royal underdelivered this year with the going deemed unsatisfactory by many connections, 14 ground-related non-runners on Friday followed by 20 more on Saturday.

Gordon Elliott made his feelings clear in words, saying that ‘it wasn’t good enough [and] you can’t depend on the rain’ while Henry de Bromhead spoke with his actions, taking out a spate of fancied runners after Cite Florale disappointed in the opener on Saturday.