Three things we learnt at Newmarket on day one, and an eye-catcher who finished last

Scandinavia used the Bahrain Trophy at the July Festival en-route to Goodwood Cup and St Leger glory last year, and whilst Point Of Law has some way to go to match those achievements, the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt laid down a strong marker for the season’s final classic by toughing it out to win the meeting’s opening Group Three by half a length.

The son of Frankel shaped with promise at Royal Ascot when fourth in the Queen’s Vase, running on from the rear, and ridden more prominently at Newmarket, he stuck to his task well to score in game fashion.

Less than an hour after that victory, which saw him cut to 10-1 for Doncaster glory in September, the Andrew Balding-trained Hatteen landed the Betfred St Leger Trial Novice Stakes at the Yorkshire venue by four and a quarter lengths to earn free entry into the world’s oldest Classic.

He had previously chased home Point Of Law at Newbury in May, so this form looks strong – but don’t yet rule out Del Maro of the St Leger picture, who was unlucky not to win at Ascot and again recorded the fastest Finishing Speed Percentage (113.45%) of all the runners.

I’m not sure I’ve flagged a horse as one to follow after finishing last of 13 and being beaten by over 50 lengths before, but there is real reason to add Shipbourne to your Racing TV Tracker after his run in the final race on the card.

I must declare I had backed the son of Frankel for this, so my eye was naturally drawn to him, but everything went wrong for Ralph Beckett’s colt and it got worse when I watched the race back.

Before the race had even begun, the three-year-old got upset in the stalls, and after a slow start, he was towards the rear of the field on the outside with little cover.

He looked an awkward ride, hanging in behind horses once asked for an effort, and any chance he had of making up ground was stopped when he had a wall of horse in front of him, and he took a serious knock by another rival a furlong out.

Hector Crouch eased him home once his chance had gone and the son of dual Guineas heroine Special Duty still looks on a workable mark of 88. Another step up in trip may also help.

John Gosden issued strong views on the current state of the horse racing industry when speaking to Lydia Hislop on Racing TV after he saddled the first winner on the card.

The Master of Clarehaven was typically forthright in his opinion when asked on how optimistic he was about the future of the sport.

“We’ve got a wonderful industry, it’s a great industry, the thoroughbred, racing and breeding industry, Flat and Jumps.

“The government seem to play no attention; they’ve led a quango. The gambling commission set the rules and rammed it through without parliamentary debate.”

He continued: “Their qualification is to have absolutely no experience of our industry or the gambling industry, and they’ve made this bizarre rule which will create criminality, which will cause someone wanting to have a bet to go to the black market, and if someone wants to have a bet, you’re not going to stop them, they’ll just got the black market.

“[This] is terrible for the industry and government, and there is no protection for the person having a bet. So it is the most ridiculous policy driven by a Quango and it is a pity this government’s ministers seem to be driven by Quangos.”