Three-year-olds had an open goal this year - but they just weren't good enough

Coroebus's sad fate at Longchamp on Sunday was a stark reminder of the vicissitudes that are part and parcel of racing, with the colt who won the 2,000 Guineas back in May being cruelly denied the opportunity to leave his genetic imprint on the turf.

It was a desperate denouement for the horse and his connections, not least because Coroebus was a standard-bearer for what was feted as a vintage crop of three-year-olds in the spring. His defeat of stablemate Native Trail at Newmarket was seen as the harbinger of a golden summer.

That impression gained further momentum when Desert Crown ran away with the Derby to maintain his unbeaten record. Here, it seemed, was a worthy Classic crop, one with strength in depth across the distance ranges, and more than capable of mixing it with the older brigade from midsummer.