THIS seems like a good juncture at which to take stock of the flat season so far. Not only have the vast majority of the big races close to home taken place, I am on my travels for the next few weeks and will be handing over this slot to the eminent Will Hoffmann (aka “Stopwatch Racing” on Twitter).

This is the first year that I have been publishing entirely my own figures, with overall times adjusted for the sectionals which gave rise to them where they are known. As a result, the levels in the adjacent tables are fractionally higher than was the case 12 months ago.