Lillie Langtry looks a cut above Falmouth rivals

Though the three-year-old fillies take on the older generation in today’s Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, it’s no more than a cautious step into the realms of all-aged competition.

The absence of the prolific reigning champ Goldikova consigns the race to standard Group 1 status rather than the elevated grade it would have reached in her presence.

Goldikova’s compatriot, the English and French 1000 Guineas winner Special Duty, represents the best of this year’s Classic form but she was awarded both races in the stewards’ room. Even allowing for the interference at Newmarket, the proximity of the deposed winner Jacqueline Quest added to the unsatisfactory feel of the race. It’s inarguable that those drawn on the near side (as the first five were) also enjoyed a significant advantage over their rivals.