Glory goes to Ghaiyyath as Godolphin superstar is crowned a worthy champion

The truncated 2020 Flat season left questions unanswered, but that of leading performer wasn't one of them. The engravers would have been etching the name of Ghaiyyath alongside Horse of the Year as soon as he had seen off Magical in the Juddmonte International in mid-August.

The Godolphin star was actually responsible for the two best performances in Europe this year, recording his best Racing Post Rating of 131 at York to cement the 129 he'd run to when beating a reappearing Enable in the Coral-Eclipse. The Group 1 double put meat on the bones of his wide-margin wins against lesser opposition in Dubai and Germany and he's a deserving champion.

Similarly, the question of leading three-year-old was all but put to bed once Palace Pier (127) had comfortably seen off convincing Coronation Stakes winner Alpine Star in the Prix Jacques le Marois. The shine was taken off with a disappointing final run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, but that first defeat on testing late-season ground is easily forgivable. Furthermore, his winning time in Deauville suggests the ground was nothing like as testing as Ascot, despite what the official goings might say.