Late-developing fillies get the chance to make the grade in Yorkshire Oaks examination

On the day GCSE results are revealed, York offers a timely reminder that precocity and youthful achievement can be overrated.

Those among 600,000-odd candidates in England and Wales who discover despondently that the examiners did not rate their efforts as highly as they had hoped ought to head to the Knavesmire.

Not only will they get in for nothing, provided they are accompanied and under-18 — although it might get a bit snug if they all turn up – but also studying the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks teaches there is plenty of hope for those who fall at life’s early 'make-or-break' hurdles, or are such slow learners they do not even attempt them.