THE shadow cast by low sun on the Pond Fence might have been an inconvenience to runners in Sandown’s Tingle Creek Chase, but the real shade is that into which this generation of two-mile chasers are thrown by the absence of recent greatness.

It’s not just the fact that Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy are sidelined, but we are not long out of the Golden Age of Master Minded and Kauto Star, and just a decade on from arguably the epic tussle between Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Well Chief. In short, we’ve been spoiled for too long.