IT was a quiet week on the racecourse in Britain, where the John Smith’s provided the only time performance of real note at a higher level, with winner Quest For More (116 timefigure) and runner-up Max Dynamite (115 timefigure) flagging themselves up as deserving of a crack at a Cup race.

Gifted Master has locked horns with some of the better early-season two-year-olds, coming off worse, but he seems to be progressing judged on his Newcastle win in a decidedly useful time. His 106 timefigure sneaks him into the top 10 juvenile time performances so far, the list headed by Acapulco (117) and Buratino (114).