THE Curragh’s meeting last weekend featured five group races in all but there were no real superior performances on the clock. Best of them was Rostropovich’s 102 timefigure for winning the Group 2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity by a short-head from Coat Of Arms (101). That is still well outside the top-10 for juvenile timefigures in Ireland and Britain, with Expert Eye (114) continuing to lead the way, pre-York at least.

Rostropovich was the fastest of three two-year-old seven-furlong winners, albeit not by a wide margin. Next in was Magical, who gets a 93 timefigure for her success in a Group 2 Debutante Stakes that cannot have been truly-run (sectionals were difficult to get). It seems most likely that Magical, and 90-rated runner-up Happily, will rate a good deal higher than this given the chance.