TIMES suggest the ground was generally rather quicker than given officially at Royal Ascot 2020, but there was no doubt that conditions softened significantly overnight, following heavy rain, before the third day on Thursday.

That raised a question as to Stradivarius’s suitability for a slog over a marathon distance (remember, the first four had all broken the 12-furlong track record when he was third to Ghaiyyath at Newmarket less than a fortnight before), but he answered it in spectacular style, cruising through the race and despatching Nayef Road and the others with a power-packed last two furlongs.

The margins were slightly exaggerated by the conditions (as the various finishing speed %s confirm) and Technician was later found to have suffered a career-ending injury, but this was still a magnificent performance by Stradivarius on the clock as well as visually – his best yet, in fact – worth a 123 rating.

The softer conditions possibly caught a few jockeys out on this day more than others, but some of the criticism from the riders in the stands were at odds with the evidence of the detailed sectionals, which were made available in colour-coded form on ATR throughout the week for the first time in the Royal meeting’s history.

Ryan Moore was closest to par in coming from out the back on runner-up Monarch Of Egypt in the Jersey Stakes, and it says plenty for Molatham (113 sectional rating) that he could rally to deny that rival having raced quite prominently. Monarch Of Egypt remains on 111 and can win a group race if placed carefully.

Moore might have been more at fault on Sir Dragonet, runner-up in the Wolferton Stakes earlier on the card, given that his mount stays 12 furlongs. But he was farther behind the winner, Mountain Angel (114), at the finish than when entering the straight, running to 109, for all that he passed several rivals in the process.

Highland Chief had come from well back when winning the opener under top-weight in a marginally faster time than Mountain Angel went on to manage, and a 110 rating adjusted for sectionals suggests this may be the colt’s last run in a handicap for a while.

That remark most definitely applies to Khaloosy, who is a strong candidate for most impressive winner of the week.

Finest Sound looked close to chucked in for the Britannia Handicap under a mere 5lb penalty for an easy win in a good time at Haydock, but Khaloosy gave him 9lb and a drubbing in posting a 114 sectional rating. Expect to hear a lot more of the Roger Varian-trained colt.

Khaloosy not only ran the straight mile 1.67s (nearly 10 lengths) quicker than did Onassis in winning the Sandringham Stakes half an hour later, he carried 15lb more than that filly into the bargain.

Onassis deserves extra credit for a swift finish in a race that had not been run flat out, and gets an 88 sectional rating, but the comparison speaks nothing but favourably about Khaloosy.