THERE was as much flair as there was flare about Poetic Flare’s performance in the St James’s Palace Stakes as Jim Bolger’s Newmarket 2000 Guineas hero confirmed himself the best miler of his generation with a scintillating victory.

In doing so, the industrious son of Dawn Approach set up a potentially mouth-watering clash at Goodwood with the equally impressive Palace Pier who ran away with the Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of a Royal meeting which delivered many high-quality performances.