THE benefits of doing a bit of your own legwork on sectionals was illustrated again at Longchamp on Sunday, when the two races for two-year-old newcomers resulted in modest overall times but one contestant who looks group class because of his splits.

That one is Godolphin’s Victor Ludorum, who won the Prix de Fontenoy (maiden) with what I made a 21.9s last 400m, resulting in a sectional rating of 112. Andre Fabre won this with Waldgeist in 2016, and expect to hear plenty more of Victor Ludorum, a son of Shamardal.