The good, the bad and the bizarre from the 2018 Flat season

THE GOOD

These girls can

There were more than a few voices bemoaning the absence of superstars this year. The three-year-old generation, including the Classic winners at Newmarket and Epsom, failed to electrify the masses, but as the summer wore on three flying fillies came to the fore and lit up the season with some exceptional performances.

Over a mile there was the hulking Alpha Centauri. Trained by Jessica Harrington, she exploded on to the scene with a surprise victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and then racked up a further three Group 1 wins by August. Alpha Centauri's winning spree was only halted by another admirable filly, Laurens, in the Matron Stakes, where she sadly also sustained a career-ending injury.