THE other Group 1 of the week - the QIPCO Falmouth Stakes in the relative tranquillity of a Friday afternoon slot - was in stark contrast one of the most falsely-run group races of recent times.

Amazing Maria’s overall time of 1m 42.05s was more than 2 seconds slower than Mitraad recorded in winning a handicap carrying more weight later on the card and prompts a timefigure of just 48.

That does not mean that Amazing Maria is a poor performer, just that the race unfolded in a way that produced a poor time (the second half was more than 10 seconds quicker than the first half).

It does, however, bring into question whether the filly will be so effective in a truer contest, especially as her Royal Ascot win also came in an underwhelming time.

What’s more, sectional analysis suggests that Bawina (21.84s last two furlongs) and even Fintry (21.92s) might well beat Amazing Maria (22.02s from a better position) another day, while the Jim Bolger-trained Lucida had nothing go right and is better judged on her 118 timefigure from before.

Plenty of other races over the three days were tactical affairs, best viewed with some suspicion, and particular mention in this respect can be made of the wins of Mr Singh in the opening Bahrain Trophy (84 timefigure: has yet to convince as a St Leger contender), Big Orange in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes (87 timefigure: got the run of things up front) and Illuminate in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

The last-named already has a 109 timefigure to her name (101 here) and is clearly among the best juvenile fillies around, but Easton Angel (112 previously) got an atrocious run, while third-placed Blue Bayou finished quickest of all (22.89s last two furlongs) and would have been in front in another few strides.