I’M never a fan of the “unusually weak renewal” moniker which seems to (at least amongst the more downcast observers) apply to just about every Group-1 not held in the summer months. That being said, the 2019 Lockinge Stakes was a Group-1 in name only.

That’s not to say that Mustashry wasn’t a worthy or even above average winner. Indeed, as the small table above notes, he’s actually the second-highest rated winner since 2015 using Timeform’s methodology.

In strength-in-depth terms, however, my view is that only second-finishing Laurens (117) who comes close to being regarded as a true Group 1 animal, and her wins at that level are against her own sex.

Mustashry has the feel of a classic Sir Michael Stoute horse.

Steadily progressive over the past four-years, he’s got better with each passing season and, unusual though it is, looks to have improved again from five to six. He stays further, having won at stamina-sapping Sandown over 10-furlongs, and as such it was no surprise to see him come under pressure before many of his rivals. The strong-pace put the emphasis on stamina at the death, however, and he was in the lead a furlong out, never likely to be passed from that point.

The Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot has been nominated as his likely target and, while a horse with this profile is always going to vulnerable to an improver, a price of 5/1 for that race perhaps underestimates how far clear he was of his rivals last Saturday.