THE front-loading of the Ebor Festival in elite group-race terms meant that Saturday’s card featured nothing higher than a Group 3, though the wins of the Sussex Stakes second and third, Expert Eye and Lord Glitters, in the City Of York Stakes and Strensall Stakes would not have been out of place in Group 2s.

Neither race was run at a flat-out gallop, and Lord Glitters’ basic timefigure of 111 gets boosted to 119 on sectionals and Expert Eye’s 117 goes up to 121. They are both still behind the Sussex Stakes winner Lightning Spear on 124.