IT frequently falls to the time analyst - and to this column - to pour cold water on performances that impress visually. In many instances, the style is not fully backed up by substance. Most horses could run faster than they actually do, though that shortfall is often down to the run of the races rather than the horses themselves.

So, it makes a nice change to report that the visually impressive efforts of the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair Air Force Blue and Minding, in winning the Dewhurst Stakes and Fillies Mile at Newmarket last weekend, were as good on the clock as they looked through the binoculars. That is, very good indeed.