IT was not just the horses who came to the fore on British Champions Day. With Frankie Dettori and – even more so – Aidan O’Brien, racing enthusiasts were witnessing all-time greats right at the top of their games.

The latter trained two of the winners – almost a disappointing haul given his dominance for much of this season! – with Hydrangea in the Fillies & Mares taking him to a remarkable 25 successes at the highest level in 2017.

Hydrangea is a fine example of O’Brien’s skill, as a filly who looked somewhat limited at the top level but who has thrived on a tough campaign and now very much deserves her place in the limelight.

What she did not do at Ascot, however, was run a fast time: indeed, a steady pace for much of the way led to a timefigure of just 82 compared to her peak of 113.

The other O’Brien winner, Order Of St George in the Long Distance Cup, achieved much more on the clock with a 116 timefigure, though it has to be said he was not at his very best, touching 220/1 in running before mastering Torcedor by half a length. He had slammed the same rival by nine lengths in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh in September with a season’s best 123 timefigure.

A timefigure of 123 is what was required from Librisa Breeze to win the Champions Sprint, that and an overly-aggressive ride on the favourite Harry Angel, who faded into fourth. Librisa Breeze was held up and swooped in the final furlong to collar Tasleet, who ended up just one below his previous 120 best.

If any race on BCD was a slight let-down, it was the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which suffered from the under-performance of several and from an overly-strong pace which resulted in some pedestrian closing sectionals, even by the winner Persuasive.

That punished the overall time of the Queen Elizabeth II, which was slower than that recorded by Lord Glitters in a more evenly-run Balmoral Handicap in the final race on the card. Persuasive ends up with a timefigure of just 99 (compared to her best of 114) and Lord Glitters one of 104.

Runner-up Ribchester was the one who paid most in the former, having been sent on over two furlongs out, with sectionals suggesting he should have won narrowly.

Lord Glitters may, or may not, have been “a group horse in a handicap”, and had run a 109 the time before, but the comparison of overall time with Persuasive is misleading if taken at face value.