IT is not just inaccurate race distances which are the bane of the racing analyst, many going descriptions can be called into question also. The surface for Haydock’s Saturday meeting was given as “good to soft” in the morning papers, despite some remarkably fast times the day before, changed to “good” on the day itself, but was still some way off the “good to firm” suggested by the clock.

Quiet Reflection was just 0.65s outside the 6f course record in winning the featured Sandy Lane Stakes by a wide margin, posting a 119 timefigure in the process which takes her just ahead of Air Force Blue (121), Acapulco (117) and Log Out Island (119) in the time-based pecking order for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot after her 3lb sex allowance is factored in.