Confirmed himself a top-class colt when when staying on strongly to beat all bar the brilliant City Of Troy in the big race of the week. 

Ryan Moore judged the pace perfectly on the winner, but the eye was drawn to the way Calandagan motored past class opposition to get within a length of him after being held up. 

Still only ninth after seven furlongs, the Raceiq data reveals Calandagan then threw in a 10.74sec furlong to zoom into second before signing off with an 11.08sec in the penultimate furlong (again quickest) and then 11.81sec. Over the final three furlongs, he clocked 33.63sec, with City Of Troy managing 33.96sec. 

Calandagan’s Finishing Speed Percentage of 108.29% speaks for itself, telling us we can mark this performance up. The other horses who loitered towards the rear early on – Majloom, Zarakem, Docklands and Alflaila – made no impact. Would it have been a different story had Stephane Pasquier not sat a little closer on a horse who had previously routed the opposition in the 1m 4f King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot? We will never know. 

What we do know is that Calandagan isn’t entered in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown next month, and it’s difficult to believe he will be supplemented as connections believe he wants a big, galloping track. And he cannot run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe because he’s a gelding. 

It means the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 19 is his big goal this autumn. And given the four-year-old has shown himself to be effective on all types of ground, then he’s the one they are all going to have to beat returning to the scene of his Royal romp, with City Of Troy being targeted at the Breeders’ Cup. The general 4/1 on offer looks big. 

Charlie Appleby had just three runners at York, all of them being two-year-olds who made the frame. 

Age Of Gold was an eye-catcher in Thursday’s richly endowed nursery (first prize of more than £50,000), switched to handicap ranks off a mark of 89 after being gelded and having had two months off. 

Sent off the 4/1 favourite, he raced in rear before keeping on stoutly to pass most of his 16 rivals. However, Angel Hunter, ridden by an unstoppable Ryan Moore, got first run on him and prevailed by a neck. 

The Raceiq data confirms what a taking effort this was. Age Of Gold was the quickest of the 15 runners in the fourth furlong (11.08sec), fifth furlong (11.25sec), sixth furlong (11.85sec – no other horse dipped under 12sec) and final furlong (12.54sec). His stride data also hints a longer trip will suit. 

Age Of Gold will inevitably rise in the ratings but, if kept to handicaps, is unlikely to run in to many hotter nurseries than this one. He’s in the Goffs Million at The Curragh on September 28 and given he’s not going to be following his sire, Frankel, into the stallion ranks, you’d imagine that contest will be on the cards, for all that Acomb winner The Lion In Winter will take all the beating if he shows up there. 

The Andrew Balding-trained four-year-old is proving admirably consistent this summer and lost out by a neck to the similarly in-form Shadow Dance in Friday’s 1m 4f handicap. 

It looked a case of what might have been as he came from well back to split a pair who had sat much closer to the pace. The winning time was slow, relative to other races on the day, and the way the race unfolded left him at a disadvantage. He was easily quickest over the final half mile, but that will be of little consolation to his supporters. 

The Cracksman gelding was already due to run off a 4lb higher mark in future (he had gone close at Windsor the previous week) but should remain competitive in good handicap company. 

His two wins this season have bother been achieved with the word “soft” in the going description, so easier conditions this autumn won’t be a problem.  

He was my main fancy for the race after his previous eye-catching runs in the Duke Of Edinburgh, when a staying-on second, and John Smith’s Cup, when a keeping-on fifth. 

The five-year-old gave it another good go from well off the pace, but the longer trip was a question mark and he could only plug on at the one pace in the closing stages, whereas at Ascot, in particular, he had been tremendously strong at the business end. 

A drop back in distance would be no surprise. The £100,000 bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap over 1m 4f at Newmarket on October 11 would look a good fit, although whether connections would want a six-week break is debatable. 

He’s entered in the bet 365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on September 28, and that may be a temptation. Nine furlongs would be a minimum, though, unless there is some give underfoot, helping bring his stamina into play. He’s a general 20/1 for that race. 

Whatever, he’s capable of winning a big one. 

Last, but definitely not least. The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old was something of an unknown quantity in the Ebor, having his first start for the yard on the Flat having spent most of his career running in Germany and been second on his hurdling bow at Galway. 

The trainer rarely gets his sums wrong, though, and Hipop De Loire’s fifth in the Ebor does not tell half the story. Anchored in rear, he was still only 18th with a half a mile to run and then got hampered a furlong later when moving forwards. Worst of all, Colin Keane had to sit and suffer for much of the penultimate furlong as he and his partner got no room to manoeuvre. 

By the time Hipop De Loire got out, his chances had vanished but he still kept on willingly without being hard ridden. Despite all his problems, only Magical Zoe, the winner, and Kihavah, the runner-up, were marginally quicker than him over the final three furlongs.  

The Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh on September 29 would be a logical next step, not least because first prize is about three times greater than for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket a fortnight later. 

For what it’s worth, the Irish assessor has him on a mark of 102, whereas he ran off 103 at York. He would meet My Mate Mozzie, Fairbanks and Naqeeb – all behind him on the Knaevesmire – on better terms. 

He's a standout 14/1 with Sky Bet for the Irish Cesarewitch, and a general 14/1 for the English version. It goes without saying he’s also an interesting proposition as a novice hurdler this winter, especially when upped in distance.