Newbury Group winners were pleasing on the eye - but weight of history suggests they may find step into elite company challenging

Apologies to ante-post tipster Nick Watts and our analysis team but it may be that Winston Churchill’s words turn out to be the wisest ones concerning the weekend.

He was a big racing man and in his days as chancellor of the exchequer he founded the Tote, albeit after first introducing a betting tax that was so unpopular it had to be dropped – are you listening Rachel Reeves?

Churchill also raced horses, including high-class stayer Colonist, whose retirement was mooted while his owner had assumed the highest office in the land. “To stud?” he famously replied. “And have it said that the prime minister of Great Britain is living on the immoral earnings of a horse?”