ROYAL Ascot was not the only horseracing event of international importance in the last week by any means. In particular, Belmont race track in New York hosted an outstanding card which included the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the US Triple Crown. The race went to Creator by a nose from Destin, as all three legs this year went to different horses.

The finishing speed of the Belmont (the speed in the closing stages as a % of the average speed for the race overall) was 97.3%, which is much closer to par than the 94.4% of the Kentucky Derby won by Nyquist and the 94.1% of an even more strongly-run Preakness won by Exaggerator.