There was disappointment and even some condemnation when it was announced that Baaeed would miss a potentially glorious career swansong in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp last Sunday, but connections will feel vindicated by that decision given the way conditions transpired in Paris.

After heavy rain in the French capital, the ground became very soft and the way the race was run left no prisoners. Baaeed might well have dealt with that test but it’s hard not to conclude that his turn of foot would have been blunted.

With a rating of 135, Baaeed is now the equal of his sire Sea The Stars who memorably signed off his career in the Arc, but instead the Willaim Haggas-trained colt will follow the path of the other supreme talent of this age, Frankel, by taking in the British Champion Stakes at Ascot this Saturday.

Monumental

He is 5lbs below that great horse, and in truth, he’d need a monumental performance, and a couple of his rivals in behind to run big races in defeat, to elevate his rating any higher.

He should win and if he does, he could go a long way to giving Haggas a first ever trainer’s title in Britain.

The Yorkshire native, Newmarket-based handler is £130,000 behind Charlie Appleby, who trains Adayar, but may well catapult himself to the front if Baaeed can win, pending results earlier on the card on British Champions Day.

Top class

For all that, the Baaeed-led action at Ascot this Saturday is top class. With no less than four Group 1 races, many racing fans will instead be casting their minds to the jumps, with the proper season slowly gathering momentum.

There was a popular result at Chepstow on Saturday when the veteran chaser Peregrine Run won his 20th race with a hard fought win over favourite Tea Clipper in the Native River Handicap Chase.

A brilliant servant to his trainer Peter Fahey, Peregrine Run was ridden by the up and coming rider Sam Ewing, who had a weekend to remember in Britain. On Sunday he partnered Effernock Fizz to win the Welsh Champion Hurdle for rookie trainer Cian Collins, who was enjoying his biggest success to date.

Collins is based in Navan, Co Meath and previously rode and worked for Gordon Elliott.