THERE are still a few cards to be played in the 2017 flat season, both in Europe and further afield, but now seems like a good opportunity to take stock of what has passed (not least because I am shortly to be Melbourne bound myself).

Shown left are the top-10 Timeform timefigures in Ireland and Britain for the season so far, divided into two-year-olds, three-year-olds and older horses. It has been an especially good year for three-year-olds, with three of them now exceeding the 126.8 five-year average for generational leaders on timefigures.