Forgive the gushing enthusiasm but I feel like I have seen something special

It was a return to something like the good old days.

Compared to what we have known since the pandemic began, Ascot's grandstands were filled with people, its most lustrous race filled with interest. Crucially, this King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was enriched by the presence of the Derby winner. That horse, a magnificent athlete named Adayar, made this good day great.

Twelve months ago the history books were rewritten. Yet when Enable galloped through the rain to became the first triple winner of Britain's supreme middle-distance championship, there was almost nobody here to see her do it and only two rivals behind her. Fast forward a year and the sun shone bright on Ascot, as those set free from their Covid shackles witnessed a race and a horse that helped make their long wait worthwhile.