THE British action was below the level of the Curragh fare but there were a few notable performances. Chief amongst them was Dame Malliot (110p) who powered away from an admittedly ordinary field to win the the Listed Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket. The feature of this week seems to be horses who prove generous under pressure and she fits that narrative perfectly having been one of the first off the bridle but well on top where it mattered.

As a purveyor of an ante-post betting column for a well-known betting exchange, my first thought was that she’d have a big chance in the Yorkshire Oaks in a few weeks. With hindsight, that may have been somewhat premature, but she’s improving steadily and still doesn’t look the finished article.

At Newbury, the thoroughly likeable Withhold (120) added another win to his tally, and added to our narrative, giving very generously under pressure to hold off the second placed Billy Ray in the Marsh Cup. Owned by Tony Bloom – perhaps the most successful sports gambler on earth – there was surprisingly little support in the market, suggesting the Charlton yard expected him to improve for the run after an enforced break.

Improvement looks necessary, however, as having won this race off 107, handicaps look to be behind him with group races beckoning. All that being said, this was a personal best and, on Timeform ratings at least, he’d only have to improve a few extra pounds to be involved in the Group-1 staying tests recently dominated by Stradivarius.