It’s not easy to go beyond the top two in the market in today’s Lockinge Stakes. Charyn kept good company last season, and he kept on well to win the Bet365 Mile at Sandown last time, and he should be better suited by the straight mile today. He ran well in the Mill Reef Stakes as a juvenile and in the Greenham Stakes last season on his only runs to date at Newbury. But he has plenty to find with Big Rock and Inspiral, and his chance probably hasn’t been under-rated by the market.

And choosing between the top two isn’t easy either, not with some uncertainty concerning the state of the ground. If it gets very soft, then probably Big Rock. He was so good on very soft ground in the QE2 at Ascot in October. But on good to soft ground or better, it’s probably Inspiral. She is top class on her day, and she beat Big Rock after all in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville last August. And there didn’t appear to be any excuses for the runner-up that day.